<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Empire by stalker_ace</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29892072">Empire</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/stalker_ace/pseuds/stalker_ace'>stalker_ace</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Empire [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Original Work</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Consorts and concubines, F/M, Gen, Holy Empire of Terra, Multi, Original work - Freeform, Resurgent Terra, Science Fiction, Space Opera, War in Space</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-05-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 08:53:32</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>150,575</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29892072</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/stalker_ace/pseuds/stalker_ace</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Almost two millenniums have passed since the bulk of humanity had left Terra. Loose among the stars, humanity had seen no reason to look back at their mother planet, but that is an unacceptable proposition for those who have been left behind, and after so long, the time had come to drag those who had left back, whether they want to or not.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Original Character/Original Character</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Empire [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2197854</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>PROLOGUE</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Imperial Tower, Copernicus City</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Luna, Holy Empire of Terra</strong>
</p>
<p>Black banners hang from the walls of the tower, a few of them fluttering as whatever small artificial wind that had managed to enter the venue affected them, though one had to pay careful attention upon the banners in order to actually see them flutter. The banners hanging from the walls and small almost invisible lines that were stretched across the ceiling were not the only things inside the rather large hall that were of the color black, for almost every person inside the tower – and there must be at least five hundred of them – are wearing the same color.</p>
<p>A casual observer would have guessed from the black banners and the color of the clothes that the people are wearing that this is not a festive occasion, yet for the young woman who was seated at one of the few chairs located upon the surface of the raised platform, it was to be expected, after all, she knew that this is a funeral, and she personally knew the person who was about to be sent off to his final journey as much as a granddaughter knew her grandfather, for that was exactly what her relationship with the person to be interred was.</p>
<p>Seated upon her seat at the raised platform, she turned her attention toward the other people who are on the surface of the raised platform with her, and noted that not even a few of them had tears on their eyes, but whatever unflattering thought it was that had entered her mind when she confirmed that not even a single one of her relatives appear to be crying was put on hold as she reminded himself that most of the women on the platform were wearing darkened veils that prevented her from seeing their actual faces, and if she was being honest, she would have to admit that she was reminded of that only when she realized that she was wearing a veil herself.</p>
<p>As for the men who are on the platform – and most of them are not even seated – the dryness of their faces could, perhaps, be attributed to the fact that they are all military officers, and the fact that they are officers could be gleamed from the fact that all of them are wearing what could only be described as military uniforms, though without the gaudy colors that one would usually associate with the formal military uniforms. Then again, the young woman reminded herself, this is a funeral, and gaudy colors would not be appropriate here.</p>
<p>She was distracted from her musings at that moment by the muffled sound of a single trumpet coming from the direction of the other side of the interior of the tower that they were in, and she was sure that she was not the only one who had focused her gaze upon that direction. She fixed her attention upon that bearing just in time to watch as a sliding door automatically slid to the side, revealing the interior of an elevator car, but if she was being honest, she would have to admit that she was more interested about the people who are inside the car.</p>
<p>The party of six men – all of them wearing military uniforms – stepped out of the elevator car in perfect unison, and between the six of them, they carried a large box that was large enough that all six of them had to hold it at the same time in order to carry it.</p>
<p>It was rather obvious that the men were carrying a casket, and for a split second, the young woman could not help but tell herself that there is probably an easier way to just carry the casket rather than asking six marines who are of uniform height to do it, but then again, she told herself that nothing but the most traditional funeral and interment ceremony would do for the man whose mortal remains are resting inside that casket, after all, the person that they are about to send off to his final journey is the grandson of the man who had founded their Empire.</p>
<p>In other words, the man that they are about to send off is the Emperor of the Holy Empire of Terra.</p>
<p>‘<em>Grandfather,’</em> she thought even as the six men carrying the casket of the most powerful man in the Sol Star System began to march toward the direction of the platform where she and the other members of the Imperial Family are waiting. She stood from where she was seated – as did the other women on the stage – even as the crowd in front of them parted in order to make a distinct and clear corridor through which the casket could pass.</p>
<p>‘<em>I know that you had wanted to be the one to give the order,’</em> she thought with a small smile, though she consciously avoided placing that smile on her face, because even if she was wearing a veil, it would not do for one of the daughter of the Emperor to be smiling while his mortal remains was being carried by marching marines toward the launch point of his final journey.</p>
<p>He had been nearly three hundred when he was informed that the advance medical technologies of the Holy Empire could only do so much for him, and she remembered the despair that he had felt when he was informed that the chance that he would not be the one who would be reigning over the Holy Empire when their crusade had ended. Indeed, some of his doctors had said that he would not even be the one who would be reigning when their crusade had began, and with a start, the young woman reminded herself that that was actually the case because even at that moment, the crusade that their forefathers had left them had not even began.</p>
<p>‘<em>Those who had left their mother planet behind,’</em> she could remember her grandfather telling her all those decades ago, ‘<em>have to be brought back to their mother planet.’</em></p>
<p>She doubted that if there is anyone alive among the stars that could even remember what their mother planet was like back when all of humanity lived under her embrace. Indeed, she would readily admit that not even she could actually say that she had experienced what that was like, for she was born after the Great Exile – though here, she doubted that those who are among the stars refer to it as that – and by the time that she became aware, humanity had already spread among the stars of their galaxy.</p>
<p>Part of the reason why she was sure that there is no one alive among the stars who could remember is because she knew that their cousins among the stars have no access to the advance medical technologies that the Holy Empire have access to. One could say that they could have just asked for information from the Holy Empire, but there is another truth that one must take into consideration, and that is the fact that their cousins among the stars have not even any inkling of the existence of the Holy Empire.</p>
<p>‘<em>Not that we could blame them,’</em> she thought with a small sigh, and this time, she did not bother to hide that sigh. As she had expected, however, no one had called her out for that, indeed, she was quite certain that with everyone focusing their attention upon the direction of the casket no one had even seen her sigh.</p>
<p>‘<em>Decades, perhaps centuries, of war had left the surface of the mother planet a waste,’</em> she thought, ‘<em>and out there, loose amongst the plenty provided by tens of thousands of planets, it seemed more efficient to just colonize them rather than waste time fixing the one where our species had originated from.’</em></p>
<p>The low sound produced by the single bugler ended at that moment, but it did not mean that the venue was plunged into silence as the sound of the steady beating of a single drummer now matched the steps being taken by the six men carrying the casket of the Emperor.</p>
<p>She ignored the sounds, however, as she found herself thinking about the stories that her grandfather had told her before, about how winters lasted for entire generations because of nuclear fallout, and how storms the size of entire countries destroyed everything in their path. It had been a long time since those had happened, of course, and it was rather ironic that it was in the aftermath of such disasters that humanity – at least those who had been left behind – had been able to transform Terra into what many would now call as a Gaia world, a perfect combination of factors that allowed a particular species – in this case, humanity – to thrive within.</p>
<p>It was in the midst of the reconstruction efforts that the first seeds of what would eventually become the Holy Empire of Terra was sown, but rather than lose herself into thinking about the history of the Empire, she instead focused her attention upon the billions of souls who had left Terra in the face of the natural disasters that had befallen the mother planet.</p>
<p>She knew that they had settled in the planets orbiting distant stars and she knew that they had created their own society among the almost endless void of space.</p>
<p>‘<em>And with the distances between stars and planets, it is but inevitable that those who had left would not find the time to return home anymore,’</em> she thought, ‘<em>as they made their new homes on the surface of the planets that they had found out there, the concept of Terra as our mother had faded from their minds.’</em></p>
<p>The six men carrying the casket of the Emperor may be marching toward the platform where the young woman and the other members of the Imperial Family are waiting, but the platform is not actually their destination, and at almost the last moment, they veered to the right, marching instead toward the direction of a large device that could only be described as the breech of a cannon.</p>
<p>That description was rather apt, considering that that was exactly what the device is, a cannon that was designed to fire the casket of the Emperor toward the direction of the destination of his final journey, the massive nuclear inferno that is the centerpiece of the Sol Star System, and the final resting place of all members of the Imperial Family, the star that had been given the name of Avalon.</p>
<p>Her thoughts turned back to those who had left Terra at the same time that she asked herself it they had even realized that those whom they had left behind had renamed the star that, for most of human history, had always been called ‘Sun’. With a small mental shake of her head, she told herself that the answer to that question would most likely be in the negative.</p>
<p>‘<em>They must have thought that we who had been left behind had died in the hostile environment of our mother planet,’</em> she thought, ‘<em>or perhaps they would have thought that we had killed ourselves in the endless squabbling that we had been engaged in when they had left.’</em></p>
<p>A single member of the Imperial Family began to move toward the direction of the breech, and she noted that with her peripheral vision, though she did not actually say anything. Indeed, if she was being honest, she would have to admit that the action of her uncle was something that she was expecting, and she would have been more surprised if the Crown Prince would not have said something during this occasion.</p>
<p>‘<em>How surprised would they be,’</em> she thought, ‘<em>when we arrive at their doorsteps for our Great Crusade?’</em></p>
<p>It had been the greatest dream of every Emperor of the Holy Empire – there had been two others since the founding almost one and a half millennium ago, with her grandfather being the third – to bring back those who had left Terra, and it was a dream that she and every other member of her family had inherited from their forefathers.</p>
<p>Whatever other thoughts and musings it was that she may have at that moment was placed on hold as she heard her uncle pointedly and deliberately clearing his throat with an audible sound. It was rather obvious that his intention was to get the attention of everyone in the interior of the tower to turn their attention toward him, and in that regard, he was rather successful.</p>
<p>Once he was sure that everyone was looking at him, the Crown Prince of the Holy Empire of Terra – the man who would be Emperor by now, if not for the fact that the former Emperor had left instructions in the favor of his Empress otherwise – parted his lips, “My Lords, Ladies, and Gentlemen,” he began, “it is not right that we send this great man upon his final journey before he had achieved his greatest wish.”</p>
<p>She knew that he was referring to the wish of the Emperor to be the one reigning when the Great Crusade was finally concluded, but before she could even make a comment about that in her mind, she was forced to pause as the Crown Prince continued to speak, “but even us, those chosen by fate to be the ones to remind our exiled and mistaken kin of their greatest mistake, are subject to the whims of those who had chosen us.”</p>
<p>The Crown Prince theatrically turned so that his attention was focused not upon the crowd that was even now looking at him but toward the surface of the casket of his father, “Rest now, father,” he said, and as if that was a signal of some sort, as soon as he had said that, the six marine who had been holding onto the side of the casket of the Emperor gently laid the casket down upon the entrance to the breech of the device that would send him off to his final journey.</p>
<p>“Knowing that we to whom you had left your great dream shall not rest until we have fulfilled the same,” the Crown Prince added.</p>
<p>The sound of gears running echoed around the tower even as the surface upon which the casket of the Emperor was resting was slowly but surely wheeled into the interior of the device. There was silence – and that is precisely the reason why the sound of the gears could echo around the tower – as this was happening, and the Crown Prince did not say anything until the casket of his father was fully within the interior of the device.</p>
<p>She turned her attention toward the direction of her grandmother at that moment, and just as she had expected, it was the Empress who was holding the small device upon which there was a red button. It would appear that the Crown Prince had not taken the actual control node that would send the casket of the Emperor from his own mother in the same vein that he had taken away from her the right to speak during the funeral of her husband, but then again, she knew that the Empress have had her private farewell with the Emperor just a few hours ago.</p>
<p>With her gaze focused upon her grandmother, she could not tell if the Crown Prince had actually given a signal, but what she does know is that the Empress did not hesitate to press the button on the device that she was carrying, and when she saw that, she hurriedly turned her attention, focusing her gaze not toward the device where the casket of her grandfather was resting, but toward instead to the ceiling.</p>
<p>Through the thick glass windows above them, she saw the casket of the Emperor shoot forward, launched toward the direction of the center of the Solar System, and followed by a dozen specially designed torpedoes – fired from the light cruisers that were in orbit – that would escort the casket all the way until it was disintegrated and absorbed by Avalon.</p>
<p>For a few moments, no one said anything as all attention was focused upon the casket of the Emperor. That silence, however, did not last long, because the Crown Prince once more made everyone turn their attention toward him, and once he was sure that that was the case, he parted his lips, “My Lords, Gentlemen,” he said, and from that salutation alone, the young woman knew that her uncle was now addressing the officers of their military, after all, women are not allowed to serve in the Imperial Military, “I know that this is an order that my father would have preferred to give himself,” he paused theatrically after that.</p>
<p>The young woman asked herself how many of the other people in the tower with them at that moment would have realized that the pause was theatrical, but before an answer could come to her, she was distracted as the Crown Prince added, “the time had come for us to bring those who had exiled themselves from their mother planet home,” and once more, he paused, though this time, it was not as long as the last time, and when he spoke again a few moments later, she could detect a strong tone as he said, “Commence our Great Crusade.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>ONE</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Main Garden, Pence Castle, Madison City</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Serendipity, Stenlar Star System, Kingdom of Crotoa</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Lady Emma Charlotte Watts</strong>
</p>
<p>It was hard for her to keep the frown from appearing on her face as she regarded the scene in front of her, and that was saying something considering that, at that moment, what she was seeing in front of her was something that she was sure would have brought a smile upon the faces of other people. She knew that for a fact, because she would readily admit that, had this been any other day, she would be one of those people who would have a smile on her face as she regarded the rather expansive garden in front of her.</p>
<p>Indeed, perhaps it would not have been proper to call this place as a garden considering that it actually gave her the impression that it was a forest of some sort when she had first seen it, but even if the cover above her head at that moment was provided by leaves jutting out of rather large trees that surrounded the perimeter of the circular garden, there was no denying that this was a garden, it was just that the person who had come up with the concept for this garden had mixed what a garden meant with a forest.</p>
<p>She turned her attention toward a completely random direction to look at the trunk of one of the seventy trees that surrounded this almond shaped space located in the very heart of the castle that housed the ruling family of the planet that they were in, and though she tried her best to smile, the only expression that appeared on her face would be a frown as she could not help but remember that the reason that she had been sent here in the first place was because the woman whom she is the lady-in-waiting of had asked her to check on what was supposed to be a package that was sent from the capital.</p>
<p>The frown that appeared on her face had more to do with the fact that no matter where she looked at that moment, the only other people who are inside the garden – and it was rather appropriate to use the term ‘inside’ because the trees defining the perimeter of the garden would certainly have given anyone the impression that this garden was a room in its own – would be those who had accompanied her, in other words, two other ladies-in-waiting whom she had picked up after she had been informed that there was supposed to be a package waiting for them in this place.</p>
<p>It was at that moment that Lady Emma Charlotte Watts, Countess of Gray Haven, finally lost the silent battle that she had been having with herself, and she allowed a small sigh to escape from her lips. She allowed that sigh to escape from her lips even as silently told herself that the two ladies-in-waiting that she had brought with her would have noticed her doing that, but if she was being honest, at that moment, the Countess really did not care. In any case, even if the two ladies-in-waiting had seen her, it was not as if they would have said anything about it, and she was proven correct in that assessment, as neither of her two companions had so much as even turned their attention toward her.</p>
<p>Even though at that point, Lady Emma was sure that she had been sent here for a false errand, it was not as if she just turned on her heel and marched back toward the room where her Lady was waiting for her, because she would have to admit that it was possible that the person that they are supposed to meet was stuck somewhere and may even be, at that moment, heading toward them, but at the same time that that thought entered the forefront of the mind of the Countess, she could not help but ask ifs he was even the proper person to receive the package, whatever the package was supposed to be.</p>
<p>Lady Emma would have to admit that the reason why she did not hesitate to head here was because she trusted her Lady to not send her here unless she thought that it was important, and she would have to admit that that is part of the reason why she had not yet decided to just walk back toward the apartment that had been set aside for them during the duration of their stay in this castle.</p>
<p>The Countess returned to the present at that moment, and to mark the fact of her return to the present, she took a single step forward. As she had expected, the action on her part caused the two ladies-in-waiting who are with her to turn their attention toward her, and using her peripheral vision, Lady Emma could see that one of them parted her lips as if she wanted to say something.</p>
<p>Lady Emma actually did not have to hear what the other lady had to say in order for her to know that that lady wanted to ask her how long it is that they are supposed to wait. A part of the Countess wanted to point out that they are supposed to wait until the package that they are waiting for had arrived, but because Lady Emma knew that there was a chance that she may lose her temper and allow words that she did not want to say escape from her lips, the Countess instead held her breath and said nothing even as she walked toward the direction of one of the many benches lining the pathway that cut through the long axis of the almost shaped garden that they were now in.</p>
<p>As she walked forward, the Countess allowed her thoughts to once more wonder, and even as she fought another urge to sigh, she asked herself a question that, in hindsight, she realized was akin to that which the ladies that were accompanying her wanted to ask, only the question that the Countess of Gray Haven asked herself had nothing to do with how long they are supposed to wait in this garden, and more with how long they are supposed to stay in this planet.</p>
<p>It was not as if Lady Emma disliked this planet, indeed, if she was being honest, the Countess would have to admit that she actually rather liked this planet. The second planet orbiting around a rather regular star, the piece of rock that came to be known by humans as Serendipity was smacked right in the middle of the habitable zone, and because of that, liquid water existed on the surface of the same. It also had a rather mild climate, and while extremes on either end of the scale are known to occur, those events are rather few and far between.</p>
<p>She also had no complaints about the assignment that they had been sent here to complete as it is a typical assignment for someone like her who was born in a noble house in the Kingdom of Crotoa. In any case, the education of the eldest daughter of the Duke of Winnipeg – the hereditary ruler of this planet – rests primarily in the hand of the lady that Lady Emma is serving as Chief Lady-in-Waiting, with the Countess of Gray Haven only occasionally being asked to fill in.</p>
<p>It was an assignment that allowed Lady Emma to pursue some of her own hobbies, and indeed, in the sixteen months that they had been here, the Countess had already taken the lead role in two widely successful theater plays.</p>
<p>As her thoughts turned toward the theater, however, she could not help but blink, and the reason was because she could not help but remember the last after-show party that she had been to. She could not honestly say if she had asked for the name of the rather handsome gentleman who had engaged her in a conversation in front of the bartender while she got a refill of her drinks, but the Countess could still remember the words that had escaped from the lips of the man before he had left.</p>
<p>‘<em>The next time we would meet, I would make you mine,’</em> the man had said, and even now, almost half a year after she had heard those words, she could not help but cringe as she remembered them.</p>
<p>It was not the words that made her cringe – and though she would not admit it, it also made her afraid – but rather, it was the way that he had said it. Even now, almost half a year after the event, she could still hear the matter-of-factly way that he had said it, giving her the impression that he truly meant what he had said.</p>
<p>That was not the first time that Lady Emma had heard someone say things like that to her, and that certainly was not the first time that she thought that a person was being serious as he said words like that to her, but that was the first time that she could remember hearing those words and getting the impression that what he had said would come to pass.</p>
<p>Lady Emma would have cringed at that moment again, but before she could actually do so, she was distracted from her thoughts by a commotion coming from the direction of the two ladies-in-waiting that she had brought with her, and she turned her attention toward them, raising one of her eyebrows as she realized that while she had taken a seat, the two other ladies-in-waiting had simply followed her near the bench, but had not taken their seats.</p>
<p>The two other ladies did not see Lady Emma as she raised one of eyebrows because the two of them had turned their attention somewhere else, and much as it irritated the Countess of Gray Haven, she knew that she also had to turn her attention toward that direction. As she turned her attention toward the direction opposite the spot where they had first entered the garden, the Countess could not help but hope that whatever it was that had caused her companions to act the way that they are acting, it was something that would have to do with the reason that they had been sent here in the first place.</p>
<p>That, however, would turn out not to be the case, because instead of a group of servant holding an important package between them, the only person that Lady Emma saw when she turned her attention toward that direction was one man, and though he is not the one that the Countess was expecting, the sight of him actually caused a smile to appear on her face even as she automatically stood from where she was seated.</p>
<p>The man who had entered the garden was wearing a military uniform and on his side, he was wearing a sword – ceremonial, but functional, Lady Emma knew – but because he was not wearing a cover, his face was uncovered and she could see the smile that formed on his face when his own gaze landed upon her.</p>
<p>If she was being honest, however, the Countess of Gray Haven would have to admit that even if the knight – for it is only someone who is a member of one of the four Knight Orders of the Kingdom of Crotoa who could wear a sword with their everyday uniform – had been wearing full armor with his face covered, she still would have been able to identify him, after all, this is the man that she intends to someday marry.</p>
<p>Lady Emma actually blinked at that moment even as a realization came across the forefront of her mind. She, of course, is not aware if he is on duty – because even if he and the Order of Knights that he is part of had been sent to this planet specifically to escort the lady that Lady Emma is the chief Lady-in-Waiting of, deployments of the knights are not something that the ladies-in-waiting are made aware of – but then she realized that he probably would not be on duty if he was here, and as he purposely took steps toward her, Lady Emma knew that he was expecting her to be here.</p>
<p>There was a wide smile on the face of Sir Leonard ‘Leo’ Robinson as he closed the distance between himself and Lady Emma, and she would have to admit that it was that smile that he was wearing on his face that she focused her attention upon. As she had kept her gaze focused on his face, she failed – well, not really, but by the time that she realized it, they were already backing away from her – to notice as her two companions retreated.</p>
<p>By the time that Lady Emma had completely returned to the present, the man that she was sure she would someday marry was in front of her, and before she could say anything, she felt him take both of her hands in his own. She marveled at how warm and cold his hands are at the same time, but though she had the urge to turn her attention toward that direction, she fought that urge and instead focused her gaze upon his face. If she was being honest, the Countess would have to admit that that was a rather easy thing for her to do.</p>
<p>She turned her attention toward the direction of his light green eyes a few moments later, and though he had not said as much, she knew that she was also staring at her light brown ones, but then again, that was rather easy for her to confirm as well.</p>
<p>The Countess would readily admit that she had no idea how much time passed between the two of them as they just stared at each other, though she felt a strange sense of pride when she realized that she was not the one who broke through the silence that had surrounded the two of them, though she would also admit that she was rather disappointed when he cut through the silence that had descended between the two of them.</p>
<p>Gently, he pushed her away from him, but only until she was about a foot away from him, and even if he did push her away, she still kept her hands on his own, and the two of them were still staring at each other. Once he had stopped pushing her, she saw him part his lips, and that was followed a few moments later by his voice as the man in front of her spoke, “I have received a letter from the capital,” he announced.</p>
<p>There was not even a need for Emma to ask him who the letter was from, after all, it was rather obvious as to what the answer to that unasked question would be. Indeed, now that she had the time to think about it, and confronted with the situation that she had found herself in, the Countess of Gray Haven was rather sure that there was actually no package that she was supposed to pick up, rather, everything was just so that she could be here for Sir Leo to find her.</p>
<p>Of course, those thoughts fled from the forefront of the mind of the Countess a few moments later as the man in front of her continued, “It was from your father, and it was in response to a question I asked him a few months ago.”</p>
<p>The smile on the face of the Countess at that moment would have – should have – clued anyone watching her and Sir Leo at that moment as to what the letter that the knight had received was, but even if that was the case, it was obvious that he wanted to finish what he wanted to say, “I asked,” he began, “I asked permission to marry you.”</p>
<p>Lady Emma did not trust her voice at that moment, which was why she merely nodded in response to the statement that he had uttered. It was rather formal of him to ask for the permission of her father before he asked the question, but as she stood there, the Countess told herself that she should have seen that happening, after all, there was no way that her father would have refused permission, yet at the same time, if he were to learn that Sir Leo had asked her before he had asked for his permission, then he probably would not have been pleased.</p>
<p>The Duke of Moresby may be progressive and quite liberal, but when it comes to his children, he is rather traditional.</p>
<p>A voice at the back of the head of the Countess forced her to return to the present, and that at the back of her mind that pointed out that he had not even asked her the question yet, but she was already nodding, though the Countess pointedly ignored that voice as she once more returned to the present.</p>
<p>This time, the reason for her returning to the present was because she felt him remove his hands from her own, and she turned her attention toward the direction where their hands had been touching but before she could truly focus her gaze upon that direction, she was distracted by Sir Leo as the knight took a single step back, though before Lady Emma could say anything, she watched as he dropped on one knee in front of her.</p>
<p>With his left hand, he reached for the pocket of the trousers that he was wearing, and when he pulled out his hand from the same trouser, she could see him retrieve a small box from the same. Of course, he did not have to open the box in order for the Countess to know what was inside the box, but even if that was the case, Lady Emma did not say anything and instead, she waited for him to open the box.</p>
<p>As she had expected, the contents of the box was a ring, and it was a rather simple ring, though after she had confirmed the contents of the tiny box, the Countess instead turned her attention back toward the face of the man in front of her, with a wide smile on her face. She would have to admit that the smile that she was wearing widened even more when she saw the nervous look on his own face, but she did not say anything about it.</p>
<p>Lady Emma knew that it would have made it more difficult for him if she had actually said anything, so even if there were a lot of things that she wanted to say at that moment, she refrained from doing so. Indeed, if she was being honest, the Countess would have to admit that, at that moment, she just wanted to say ‘yes’ even if he had not yet asked the question.</p>
<p>This, however, was as much as for him as it was for her, which was why she waited for him to speak. She did not, however, have to wait long, because a few moments later, he began to push words out of his mouth, “Emma Charlotte Watts,” he began, and after he had said her name, he turned his attention back toward her completely, “I love you, I want to spend my forever with you.”</p>
<p>The Countess of Gray Haven did not even realize that there were tears spilling out of her eyes at that moment, but those are tears of happiness even as that voice at the back of her head had returned, though this time, even that voice which she recognized as her own was rather happy with what is happening.</p>
<p>“Will you marry me?” he finally asked a few moments later.</p>
<p>This was another time that the Countess did not trust her voice, so instead of verbally replying to the question, Lady Emma just gave him a nod. Yet, at the same time that she gave that nod, the Countess of Gray Haven realized that she should give a verbal reply, if only to hear herself actually say the answer out loud, “Yes,” she said a few moments later, and because to her, it felt as if she had not said that loud enough, the Countess repeated a few moments later, “yes.”</p>
<p>The smile on the face of Sir Leo was rather wide, as would be the smile that was on the face of Lady Emma at that moment, but if she was being honest, the Countess would have to admit that she was actually quite distracted about what was happening. By the time that she returned to the present, Sir Leo was already getting back on his feet, and indeed, the catalyst that forced her to return to the present was the feeling of his hand against her own.</p>
<p>Rather than turn her attention toward the direction of his face, however, the Countess instead turned her attention toward the direction of her hand, just in time to watch as Sir Leo gently but surely slid the ring that he had presented to her into her left ring finger.</p>
<p>The feeling of the metal of the ring against her finger brought her a sense of calmness and nervousness at the same time, but because it fled from the center of her mind at almost the same time that she felt it, the Countess would have to admit that she thought that she was just imagining it. In any case, a few moments later, as she turned her attention toward the simple and modest ring that she was wearing, she could not help but allow the smile that she was wearing on his face to widen even more.</p>
<p>Before she even knew what she was doing, she threw herself against the man in front of her, but it would appear that that was something that he was expecting, because he was easily able to catch her, and as she felt him tighten his arms around her body, she moved her head in such a way that a few moments later, her lips was but a few inches away from his left ear. That position allowed her to whisper words directly onto his ear, and because she was whispering, she doubted that the other people around them could hear her.</p>
<p>Not that she would have minded it if they were to hear her anyway, “I love you,” she whispered, “I love you very much.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Aboard <em>HMS Iron Duke</em>, Fleet Flagship, Imperial Terra Grand Fleet</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Outer Edge of the Stenlar Star System, Kingdom of Crotoa</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Lord Alexander Charles York</strong>
</p>
<p>He stared at the seemingly endless void in front of him with his arms crossed over his chest, and an expression on his face that would have told anyone who was watching him at that moment that he was rather annoyed. There was nothing in front of him that would have made him focus his attention upon it, and that may be the reason for the annoyed expression that he was wearing, yet at the same time that that thought entered the forefront of his mind, a soft sigh escaped from his lips.</p>
<p>In front of him, he watched through a screen – but he had to remind himself that he was watching through a screen, because if he did not, then he would have been carried away and would have said that he was watching through a window, never mind the fact that the bridge was buried inside the superstructure of the warship and there is actually no direct contact between the walls of the bridge that he was in at that moment and the outside of the ship – as a relatively smaller warship fired off its side thrusters in order to maneuver into a position that would place it in front of the one that he was in.</p>
<p>The ship that was maneuvering in front of his flagship is not the only ship out there, of course, and when Lord High Admiral Duke Sir Alexander Charles York, General-Admiral, Imperial Terra Grand Fleet, forced himself to turn his attention away from the cruiser that was maneuvering in front of his flagship as it slotted itself into its designated position, the first thing that he saw would be the hull of four other warships – each one of them of the same kind and class as the first cruiser – arrayed in a line formation in front of his flagship.</p>
<p>He did not turn his attention to his side in order to know that there are other ships there also maneuvering into their proper position relative to the fleet flagship and their battlegroup flagship, but he knew that if he were to turn his attention toward that side, he would be able to watch them, because the walls of the bridge was actually covered with screens that allow those inside a panoramic view of what is happening outside the ship. Indeed, if he were to turn his attention behind him, the General-Admiral knew that he would be able to see the ships that were forming behind his own flagship, the four other battleships that make up the balance of the 9<sup>th</sup> Battleship Division, as well as the heavy cruiser and destroyers that make up their escort.</p>
<p>A sigh escaped from the lips of the Duke of Olympia – though he preferred not to use his peerage titles whenever he is aboard a ship of war – a few moments later as he removed his hands from his chest, clasping them behind back instead. As he was wearing the standard ship-borne uniform of the Imperial Navy, it would not be the ribbons and medals on his chest that any person would first notice about him when they turn their attention toward him, but that was mostly because this uniform that he was wearing does not include provisions for him to wear those.</p>
<p>Rather, the first thing that most people would probably notice about him would be the rank insignia that he was wearing on the right collar of the shirt that he was wearing. The rank insignia that he was wearing showed two diamonds in close proximity with each other, and that is the rank insignia of a high admiral in the Imperial Fleet.</p>
<p>Unlike a regular high admiral, however – or at least, as regular as a high admiral could be, after all, there are only four active-duty high admirals in the Imperial Fleet at any given time – the diamonds that Lord Alexander was wearing had two colors. Aside from the standard metallic gold, the diamonds also had a thin stripe on it, and that stripe was imperial purple in color, a color that only members of the Imperial Family could wear.</p>
<p>That alone is testament to the fact that he is a member of the Imperial Family, though it was not enough to tell those who would have been looking at him for the first time that he is actually the eldest grandson of the reigning Empress and thus, according to the rules of the Imperial House, second-in-line to the Golden Throne after the Crown Prince himself.</p>
<p>It was rather problematic considering that the father of Lord Alexander is not the Crown Prince of the Holy Empire, and it becomes even more problematic when one considers the fact that the Crown Prince has his own son.</p>
<p>Those thoughts passing through the forefront of the mind of Lord Alexander caused a smile to appear on his face, yet at the same time, he turned his attention away from the screens in front of him, focusing it instead behind him as he spun on his heel. Like all bridges of Terran battleships, the bridge of the flagship is divided into three levels – those that are not intended to be flagships and the older flagships have two levels instead – with the first two levels dedicated to the running of the ship itself and is under the absolute control of the captain of the ship.</p>
<p> As for the third – and highest – level, that was reserved for the flag officer who had chosen the particular ship as his flagship, and is the only place in the ship where the captain does not exercise full control. It was upon the highest level of the bridge that Lord Alexander stood at that moment.</p>
<p>The first thing that he turned his attention to once he had finished turning his back to the screens at the perimeter of the bridge would be the low table behind him, and at the same time that he focused his attention upon the same, the table was actually displaying three dimensional images of warships as those ships moved into formation relative to the flagship.</p>
<p>There are a dozen other officers who are gathered around the table by the time that he had turned his attention toward that direction, though he could tell that none of them were actually looking at him as they instead having a silent conversation with each other. Even when he took a single step toward them a few moments later, none of them turned their attention toward him, though if he was being honest, it was not something that irritated him, as he probably would have been more irritated if they had actually turned their attention toward him so that they could watch him walk toward them rather than continue with what they are doing.</p>
<p>As he walked forward toward the direction of the table, Lord Alexander could not help but think about the mission that they had been given. Almost two millenniums had passed since the bulk of humanity had left Terra, and but for a few, those who had left had not looked back. They had not wondered about what had happened to those who had been left behind, though he would have to admit that perhaps those who had left had not even realized that some people did remain within the embrace of the mother planet.</p>
<p>One of the tenets upon which the Holy Empire was founded would be the belief that those who had left the mother planet should return, and if they would not do it of their own free will, then the agents charged by the mother planet would make them. As for the agents chosen by the mother planet, well, that would be the Holy Empire of Terra, and the mission that Lord Alexander had been given – though he would also have to admit that the fact that he was chosen for this mission was not completely random – would be the first step in the Great Crusade that the first Emperor had spoken of when he first ascended the Golden Throne.</p>
<p>In the long run, Lord Alexander knew, it would be for the best, even those who would have to be dragged kicking and screaming back to the banners of the mother planet, after all, the last time that he had heard – and it had not even been a year – those who had left the mother planet behind had yet to master genetics to the point that they could slow down aging, something that was so common in the Holy Empire.</p>
<p>Lord Alexander – and almost all of the officers who are milling about the table that he was walking toward – was an example of that, considering that the General-Admiral is actually sixty years old this year, yet he looked not a day older than thirty, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, he would continue to look like this for the rest of his life. Indeed, his grandfather – whom they had buried just a few months ago – looked not a day older than thirty himself, despite the fact that he is three hundred fifty years old when he was struck down by the disease that killed him, and he had lingered around for another thirteen years.</p>
<p>“Gentlemen,” Lord Alexander said a few moments later, and as that single word escaped from his lips, he returned to the present just in time to see the dozen officers who are positioned along the edges of the table turn their attention toward him. Although they had turned their attention toward him, none of them actually said anything, and that gave Lord Alexander the opening that he needed to continue speaking, “There is no need for me to remind you of how important this mission that we have been given is.”</p>
<p>Of the twelve men who have positioned themselves around the table, it was the one who was nearest to Lord Alexander who spoke, though it was not because he is the one who was closest to their commanding officer that he was the one who had been chosen to speak for the others, rather, it was because of the twelve men around the table, he is the highest ranking of them all.</p>
<p>“Of course, Sir,” he replied, and in response to the words that have escaped from his lips, Lord Alexander turned his attention toward him.</p>
<p>There was a neutral expression on the face of Vice Admiral Kevin Francis Cline, Chief-of-Staff, General-Admiral, Imperial Terra Grand Fleet, but even if that was the case, Lord Alexander had served with him long enough to know that underneath that neutral expression that his long-time aide and friend was wearing, the man was also happy. Like his commanding officer, Vice Admiral Cline had been looking forward to the day that they would come to this system in the guise of officers of the Imperial Fleet and not in the guise of the pirates that most of the people of this system know them as.</p>
<p>As his thoughts turned toward that particular aspect of their career, Lord Alexander could not help but smile. In the past, before the Holy Empire was prepared to launch the Great Crusade, he and Vice Admiral Cline – as well as a few others – were tasked with gathering intelligence about the systems on the border of the Holy Empire, and one of the most effective ways of gathering intelligence was asking the people who live in those systems.</p>
<p>They could not, however, just pluck people out nowhere and ask them, not when they are unwilling to play their most important card – namely, that the people around the Holy Empire are not even aware that the Holy Empire existed – so they had to engineer a way around that. There was a relatively easy solution to the dilemma that the Holy Empire had found themselves in, and as his thoughts turned toward that solution, Lord Alexander turned his attention toward one of the officers who was standing near the edge of the table, precisely because it was he who had come up with the solution.</p>
<p>Behind the rather thick lenses of the glasses that he was wearing, the intelligent eyes of Rear Admiral Daniel William ‘Ash’ Ashford did not blink, even when he saw that his commanding officer had focused his complete attention upon him, though if he was being honest, Lord Alexander would have to admit that that was to be expected.</p>
<p>Even when they were younger – that is, when they were enrolled at the same time in the Imperial Naval Academy – Victoria, though Lord Alexander is in the class two years ahead of Rear Admiral Ashford – the bespectacled man had never been one to overly display his emotions. It is perhaps that aspect of him that most people would remember most about him, but for those officers that he serves with, it would actually be the extraordinary intelligence that the Rear Admiral possesses that made the most impression.</p>
<p>It was the trait that allowed him to become the youngest tenured professor in the Imperial Naval Academy – Victoria, and it is also the trait that made Lord Alexander appoint him as Chief Military Advisor, General-Admiral, Imperial Terra Grand Fleet and, in practice Vice Chief-of-Staff.</p>
<p>“I would be happy that we would not have to pretend to be pirates again,” Vice Admiral Cline said, and as those words escaped from his lips, Lord Alexander could not help but turn his attention toward him.</p>
<p>A wide smile came across his face at the same time that he turned his attention toward the direction of his Chief-of-Staff, though by the time that he was able to focus his gaze upon Vice Admiral Cline, he had already turned his attention toward Rear Admiral Ashford, which would be rather apt considering that it was the Rear Admiral who had come up with the plan of pretending to be pirates in order to pluck people – or in this case, ships – so that they can be interrogated.</p>
<p>Indeed, the plan of Rear Admiral Ashford was so good that not only had they built a reasonably good intelligence picture of the situation in this system that they are about to invade, they had also managed to create an image in the minds of the local authorities that there is a dangerous pirate group plying the outer edges of the system, something that was favorable to the General-Admiral, Imperial Terra Grand Fleet, as it would mean that the local authorities would be on high alert and yet, when the invasion comes, they would be swept aside.</p>
<p>The impact that that would have upon the morale of the defenses of the Kingdom of Crotoa, Lord Alexander knew, would be something that would be difficult to estimate.</p>
<p>“Yes, well, I am sure that the people in Serendipity would be rather happy to finally see the face of the ‘Dagger of the Void’,” Rear Admiral Ashford said, causing another smile to appear on the face of the General-Admiral, as the nickname that the Chief Military Advisor had just uttered was actually something that Lord Alexander had been given by the local authorities.</p>
<p>Most of the people that they had captured were sent back to Terra in order to undergo reintegration with the people of the Holy Empire, but it was also true that they had sent a few others back in order to warn the authorities of their activities. The goal of that was to force them to raise their alertness so that when the invasion comes, they would be prepared and even then, they would be swept aside.</p>
<p>Lord Alexander turned his attention toward the direction of the images being displayed by the table at that moment, and after just a second or two of staring at it, he already noted that the ships are fast moving into formation. Once they are in the proper formation, they could warp close to the second planet – the only habitable planet in this system – and begin their operations.</p>
<p>Without warp, they would have to travel through the dark void that separated the planets of this system from each other, and that would take them more than a week even if this system is actually on the smaller side. Whatever surprise it was that they had achieved would have been lost, but fortunately, with the warp technology, there was no need for that, even if they could actually use warp only within the system.</p>
<p>At that moment, Lord Alexander knew that the authorities at the planet that they are about to attack had not yet seen them, and he knew that, if all went according to plan, the first indication that they would have about the entrance of his fleet into this system would be when they detect the warp signatures, but by the time that they do, it would already be too late for them.</p>
<p>“We should close with the enemy as soon as possible and shock them before they could mount an effective defense,” Lord Alexander said, “Half of our planned assault on their morale depends upon us achieving total victory in as short amount of time as possible.”</p>
<p>There was a brief silence among the gathered officers, and using his peripheral vision, Lord Alexander saw his two highest ranking staff members – though Rear Admiral Ashford is actually the same rank as most of the other members of the staff because most of them also hold the rank of rear admiral – turn their attention toward each other. No words may have passed between the two of them, but it was obvious that the two of them had a silent conversation, something that Lord Alexander was able to confirm a few moments later when Vice Admiral Cline called for his attention by speaking.</p>
<p>“We know that the defenses in the planet had been strengthened because a member of their Royal Family is in residence,” Vice Admiral Cline said. He paused for a brief moment, and it was so brief that no one actually got the chance to say anything before he added, “We know that they had brought with them the entirety of one of their Knight Orders, but those are close quarters specialists, and from what we can tell, the few ships that they had brought with them are assault transports, not full-on warships.”</p>
<p>‘<em>In other words, if we are expecting good resistance, it would come during the orbital invasion, and not during the fight to secure orbital control,’</em> Lord Alexander thought at the same time that he turned his attention toward one other member of his staff. It was apparent that the person that he turned his attention toward was expecting him to do so, because when he fixed his gaze upon him, that person was staring back at him, with a serious expression on his face despite the rather wide smile that he was wearing.</p>
<p>It was a smile that Lord Alexander easily returned, because even if the man would not tell him what the reason behind the smile that he was wearing was, the General-Admiral already knew the reason, since the man that he had turned his attention toward is actually the man in command of the marine contingent of the Imperial Terra Grand Fleet, which meant that any orbital invasion would be carried out by the marines under his command.</p>
<p>“Once we have secured orbital control, we pretty much control the planet,” Lord Alexander said, and he glanced toward the direction of his marine commander just in time to see – and as he had expected – a frown appear on his face. The frown was his reaction to the declaration of Lord Alexander that there may be no need for them to actually land troops on the planet surface, but before anyone else can say anything, the General-Admiral added, “but as this would be the first operation against the Kingdom of Crotoa, we would need to defeat them in at least one decisive battle, and if that would be the ground battle, then so be it.”</p>
<p>The determined look on the face of his marine commander would have caused a smile to appear on the face of Lord Alexander even as he found himself wondering just how fast the smile that he was wearing on his face would disappear the moment that Lord Alexander informed him that he intends to take part in that battle, but rather than cause the man anymore discomfort, the General-Admiral decided that he would spring that surprise on the man five minutes before he makes the decision.</p>
<p>At that moment, the General-Admiral could not help but feel a slight sense of regret, because the man who is now in command of his marines is actually someone whom he had never worked with before. His usual Marine Corps contingent commander had been seconded to the other prong of the campaign force, because the first planet that that prong of the campaign force would meet is an ecumenopolis – a planet that is pretty much one large city – and High Command felt that the most experienced marines should be the ones sent to mount an orbital invasion of that target.</p>
<p>He shook his head in an attempt to chase away whatever regret it was that he had felt at that moment, and in that regard, he was rather successful. After he had finished shaking his head, Lord Alexander returned his attention toward his chief-of-staff and he said, “It would be a tad shame if we are to destroy everything from orbit too, after all, we have been here before.”</p>
<p>The expression on the face of Vice Admiral Cline was one of discomfort and it made the smile that Lord Alexander was wearing more pronounced. Rather than say anything, however, Vice Admiral Cline kept silent, and that gave the General-Admiral the opening that he needed in order to continue speaking, “Remember the last time that we were here, Kevin?” he asked.</p>
<p>With those words, he gave his chief-of-staff no choice but to answer, and that was exactly Vice Admiral Cline did a few moments later, though it was obvious that he would rather talk about something else. Still, Vice Admiral Cline has had a lot of experience dealing with Lord Alexander before, and he easily demonstrated that a few moments later when he replied, “Yes, Your Grace.”</p>
<p>It was the honorific that he had used when he replied that caused Lord Alexander to frown, though it was not a wide a frown as one would have expected as he understood that Vice Admiral Cline was just retaliating. Indeed, one could say that the Duke of Olympia – the ‘Your Grace’ honorific that Vice Admiral Cline had used was the proper honorific if Lord Alexander is being addressed in his position as a member of the peerage, something that he does not want when he is aboard a ship of war – was actually rather amused rather than irritated.</p>
<p>“That woman we met during that time,” Lord Alexander suddenly said even as he turned his back toward his officers and he started to walk forward toward the direction where he had been a few minutes before, “she was rather striking.”</p>
<p>Even without turning his attention toward his subordinates, he could tell that most of them would now be looking toward the direction of Vice Admiral Cline, and he could tell that most of them would have questioning expressions on their faces at that moment. Again, that was something that he could not blame them for, after all, it is not every day that the General-Admiral would talk about a woman that he had met during an operation, or any woman for that matter, and especially after the death of the woman he had though he would marry a few decades ago.</p>
<p>“There is no guarantee that she would still be in the planet, of course,” Vice Admiral Cline suddenly said.</p>
<p>Lord Alexander turned his attention toward his highest ranking subordinate at that moment, though at the same time that he did so, he actually took a few moments to look around him. As he had expected, most of the other officers were looking at the Chief-of-Staff, but for his part, Vice Admiral Cline kept his gaze focused upon his commanding officer.</p>
<p>That was something that actually worked in favor of the General-Admiral because it meant that he was able to stare at him as he said, “Now, we both know that that is not true,” the smile on his face widened a few more moments later as he added, “Besides, that would mean that I would not be able to make true the promise I made to her the last time we met.”</p>
<p>He actually saw the sigh that escaped from the lips of Vice Admiral Cline, and he knew that it was a sigh of exasperation. That sigh was also the only thing that he actually needed to see in order to know that he was about to say something rather unflattering, though before he could do so, the Chief-of-Staff was cut off. It was just that it was not Lord Alexander who had cut him off, but Rear Admiral Ashford.</p>
<p>“A promise?” he asked.</p>
<p>That question prompted Vice Admiral Cline to turn his attention toward the direction of Rear Admiral Ashford and another sigh escaped from the lips of Vice Admiral Cline as he answered, “He promised her that the next time that they meet, he would make her his own,” he said, and from the tone that he had used to say that, it was rather obvious that he disapproved of the promise that his commanding officer had given.</p>
<p>Vice Admiral Cline was hardly the only one who had that reaction, because from the expression on the faces of more than half of the members of his staff, Lord Alexander can tell that they too disapproved. As for the other half, it was not as if they approved, it was just that they have neutral expressions on their faces, and Lord Alexander honestly cannot tell if it was because they did not care, or because they reminded themselves that, as a member of the Imperial Family, Lord Alexander is afforded some special privileges that other people do not have.</p>
<p>“Your Grace,” Vice Admiral Cline suddenly said, and as the Chief-of-Staff spoke, Lord Alexander turned his attention toward him. While Vice Admiral Cline had used that honorific again, this time, the reason was not because he wanted to irritate Lord Alexander, rather, this time, it was because what the Vice Admiral was about to say would have something to do with the peerage rank of Lord Alexander, and that was actually the only thing that the Duke needed to hear in order to guess what it was that his old friend would have said had he had the chance.</p>
<p>Lord Alexander knew that Vice Admiral Cline was going to point out that, as a member of the Imperial Family – and more importantly, as someone who had the arguably strongest claim to the Golden Throne – he is supposed to marry a woman who would be able to support him in that regard. There is no way that a woman from outside the Holy Empire – even if she is the daughter of a king or an emperor – would be able to provide that support.</p>
<p>Of course, Lord Alexander has a counter-argument to that, and he was prepared to play it, but even before Vice Admiral Cline could say anything, they were all distracted by the beeping sound coming from the direction of the table around which the members of the staff of Lord Alexander are gathered, and it was not only the General-Admiral who turned his attention toward that direction when they heard the beeping sound.</p>
<p>“Admiral,” it was the voice of Rear Admiral Ashford that cut through the rather impromptu silence that had descended at this level of the bridge after that beeping sound, but even if he had not spoken, everyone already knew what the beeping sound was for. It did not mean, however, that Rear Admiral Ashford did not explain, “All battlegroups report that all ships are in formation, we are ready to warp.”</p>
<p>A smile came across the face of Lord Alexander at that moment, “Very well,” the General-Admiral said. He nodded a few moments later, and perhaps it was just for the theatricality of it all, but he did incline his head toward the direction of Rear Admiral Ashford before he ordered, “Order all ships to warp to primary target.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Royal Apartments, Pence Castle, Madison City</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Serendipity, Stenlar Star System, Kingdom of Crotoa</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Lady Eleanor Elizabeth ‘Ellie’ Barnes</strong>
</p>
<p>She gave a smile to that young woman who had placed the cup of tea on the surface in front of her, but she said nothing even as she wrapped her right index finger around the handle of the cup. Without even glancing toward the direction of the contents of the cup, she lifted the same from the surface of the table, bringing it close to her lips before sipping from the same and fully enjoying the warm sensation that the tea that she was drinking gave her.</p>
<p>Using her peripheral vision, she looked at the young woman who had placed the cup of tea on the table in front of her even as she retreated, and she actually fought the urge to shake her head even as she told herself that it would also be rather inappropriate for her to ask the young woman to step closer to her after she had done her job.</p>
<p>Lady Eleanor Elizabeth ‘Ellie’ Barnes, the Marchioness of Havenstark, fought the urge to sigh and shake her head at the same time by forcing herself to focus her attention upon the cup of tea in front of her. As she did so, the Marchioness reminded herself that she was actually doing the young woman a favor by not asking her to step closer, after all, she is a maid attached to the household of the current host of the Marchioness, and is not actually one of the six ladies that she had brought with her when she first arrived here.</p>
<p>The reason why she was doing the young maid a favor was because Lady Ellie did not think that the maid – or indeed, even the Head Maid of Pence Castle – would be comfortable being so close to the eldest niece of the reigning King of the Kingdom of Crotoa.</p>
<p>Much as Lady Ellie would have preferred to have a simple conversation with the members of the serving staff of the castle, the Marchioness knew that that was impossible as even if the Marchioness were to tell them otherwise, the maids would continue to treat her with the respect that she is due because of the accident of her birth, and Lady Ellie have had enough of having conversation with women who can only stand – even if she had asked them to sit – in front of her and just listen – even if she had told them to say something.</p>
<p>A conversation where she is the only one who is speaking could hardly be called a conversation, after all.</p>
<p>Lady Ellie fought the urge to sigh at that moment even as she once more turned her attention back toward the cup in front of her. The urge to lift the cup and sip the contents of the same again was rather overwhelming at that moment, but the Marchioness was able to stop herself by forcing her mind to think about the companions that have been sent with her when she was given this assignment by her uncle.</p>
<p>The Marchioness turned her attention toward her right-hand side and the window that was there. As this apartment was located on the fifth floor of the main building of the castle, she could actually see pass the tree cover that she knew would be directly under the ledge of that particular window, and as that thought entered the forefront of her mind, she could not help but think about the young knight who had asked for her permission just a few hours ago to snatch one of her ladies-in-waiting for a few minutes.</p>
<p>Lady Ellie allowed the smile that she was wearing at that moment to widen, because even though Sir Leo used those exact words, she knew that the knight was going to ask her chief lady-in-waiting the most important question that a man could ask a woman, and she knew that he is going to ask her in the main garden of the castle, which was why the Marchioness had sent Lady Emma there in the first place.</p>
<p>As she sat there thinking and imagining what the answer of Lady Emma would be – and here, she fought the urge to scoff as she told herself that the answer to the question that Sir Leo would have asked would have been rather obvious – she could not help but allow a small smile to come across her face even as she told herself that she was going to tease Lady Emma the moment that the Countess of Gray Haven had returned.</p>
<p>‘<em>But once they are married, I would have to find someone to replace the Countess in my retinue,’</em> she thought.</p>
<p>The Marchioness was of two opinions in regards to that question, with one part of her mind rather disappointed that she would have to find someone who would replace the Countess, yet the other part of her mind could not deny being happy because the reason why she would have to replace the Countess was because said Countess was getting married to a man that anyone could see loves her very much, and those feelings are something that the Countess of Gray Haven clearly returns.</p>
<p>If she was being honest, however, Lady Ellie would have to admit that she was not really rushing to find someone to replace her old friend, mostly because she knew for a fact that Lady Emma and Sir Leo are unlikely to get married anytime soon. While she knew that the knight had already asked permission from the father of Lady Emma, it was also true that because Lady Emma is the eldest, her marriage should take place in the castle where she had grown up, which meant that they cannot even begin planning about it until the assignment that brought Lady Emma here in the first place had been concluded.</p>
<p>It was an assignment that would only be concluded once Lady Ellie had decided that it had been concluded, after all, the assignment that they had been given was for the Marchioness of Havenstark to see the education of the eldest daughter of the Duke of Winnipeg, and it was not an easy task drilling court etiquette lessons and other tidbits of information that a noble lady of the Kingdom of Crotoa should know onto the head of a young woman who was just two years younger than Lady Ellie herself.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, the eldest daughter of the local Duke had been rather headstrong in her youth, though as that thought entered the forefront of the mind of the Marchioness, she told herself that it was not as if she cannot understand the reason for what was essentially a twenty year personal rebellion, after all, the Duke of Winnipeg did abandon his first wife, and it was not as if the daughter of the Duke wasted that twenty years.</p>
<p>It was true that she may not know advance court etiquette and some tidbits of information that a noble lady of the Kingdom of Crotoa should know, but she more than made up for it with her knowledge, as the eldest daughter of the Duke of Winnipeg actually holds a doctorate in history, and that is one of the reasons why this assignment seemed more like an extended tea party than Lady Ellie actually teaching, as she could learn a lot from her student as well.</p>
<p>The musings of Lady Ellie were interrupted at that moment by the sound of the door to the living room that was attached to her apartments opening, and she turned her attention away from the window that she had been staring at toward the direction of where the sound came from. She was hardly the only one who had turned her attention toward that direction, however, because using her peripheral vision, she saw that some of the maids that are with her had also turned their attention toward that direction.</p>
<p>Despite the fact half a dozen pair of eyes had turned toward her direction, the woman who entered through the door did not show any sign of surprise, at least, until a few moments later when she was able to actually see who was looking at her. Even without asking her, Lady Ellie was sure that the surprise that the Countess of Gray Haven had on her pretty face at that moment had nothing to do with the fact that every person in the room was looking at her, rather, her surprise had more to do with the fact that none of the other five ladies-in-waiting who are supposed to be with the Marchioness of Havenstark was in her sight.</p>
<p>Indeed, Lady Ellie got what was essentially a confirmation that that was the case a few moments later when she saw her old friend turn focus her gaze upon her before a small frown appeared on her face.</p>
<p>In response to the frown that was on the pretty face of the Countess, the Marchioness merely smiled as she politely inclined her head toward the direction of Lady Emma, though it was clear from the expression that was written on the visage of the Countess that she was not in the mood to excuse the fact that the other ladies-in-waiting had left the woman that they are supposed to be with only with the company of maids.</p>
<p>“Ladies,” the voice that escaped from the lips of Lady Emma did not betray the fact that she was disappointed, but Lady Ellie knew the Countess long enough that she was able to pick up that that was actually the case. As for the single word that had escaped from the lips of the Countess, that was directed toward the maids, and as if to provide further evidence that that was the case, she actually turned her attention toward the maids when she spoke.</p>
<p>Of course, none of the maids had been able to say anything before the Countess continued, “If you would please excuse us,” she said.</p>
<p>Lady Ellie would readily admit that she had no idea what the order that the maids had received was, though if she were to lay odds, she would have laid odds that it was probably along the lines of not leaving the Marchioness alone. Of course, now that the Countess of Gray Haven was here – as do the two other ladies-in-waiting that Lady Emma had brought with her – then they are probably excused, which is probably the reason why, as one, the five of them bowed before hurriedly scurrying off through the same door that the Countess of Gray Haven had used to enter the room.</p>
<p>It was only after the maids had left the room – and Lady Ellie noticed that they were not the only ones because somehow, Lady Emma had also asked the other two ladies to leave the room – that Lady Emma actually broke the silence that had descended between herself and the Marchioness of Havenstark, “Where are the others?” she asked without preamble.</p>
<p>The moment that Lady Emma asked that question, the Marchioness understood why Lady Emma had asked the other ladies to walk out as well, after all, there was no way that the Countess would have asked that question the way that she had asked if there are others who would be listening, even if those others are the other ladies-in-waiting who had been assigned to Lady Ellie.</p>
<p>“They had expressed a wish to see the training of the other knights,” Lady Ellie said, “I may have casually dropped that the vice-commander of the Knight Order had returned.”</p>
<p>The expression on the face of Lady Emma was rather hard to read, and Lady Ellie knew why that is the case, after all, the vice commander of the Knight Order that had been assigned to accompany them at that moment is someone whom Lady Emma had grown up with, and is also the best friend of the man who had asked for the permission of Lady Ellie to borrow her chief lady-in-waiting but a few hours ago.</p>
<p>As that last thought entered the forefront of the mind of the Marchioness, she casually turned her attention toward the direction of the left hand of Lady Emma, and the smile that she was wearing on her face actually widened even more when she was able to confirm that Lady Emma is already wearing the ring.</p>
<p>The Countess must have noticed where the Marchioness was staring, because a few moments later, Lady Emma spoke, “You knew about it,” she said, and though she had said that with a neutral tone, Lady Ellie could not help but feel that there was an accusation in her voice.</p>
<p>Rather than deny it, however, Lady Ellie simply replied, “Of course,” before she fixed her gaze upon her oldest friend and gave her a wide smile, “He had asked for permission to borrow you just a few hours ago, and had mentioned that he intends to do it in the main garden.”</p>
<p>“Which was why you sent me there under false pretenses,” Lady Emma replied, though when those words escaped from her lips, there was actually a smile on her face, and that was the only thing that Lady Ellie needed to see in order to conclude that despite the message behind the last words that have escaped from the lips of her old friend, Lady Emma was actually rather happy, and that was proven to be the case a few moments later as the Countess suddenly said, “Thank you.”</p>
<p>This time, it was the turn of Lady Ellie to smile, and as she politely inclined her head toward the direction of her old friend in order to acknowledge the thanks that she had given, the Marchioness of Havenstark found herself speaking, “You obviously said yes.”</p>
<p>It would appear that the Countess could not trust her voice at that moment, because instead of verbally replying, she merely nodded, and that, in turn, caused the smile on the face of Lady Ellie to widen even more, “I believe that it was the vice-commander of the Knight-Order who had been the one to deliver the letter from your father giving your fiancé permission to ask for your hand,” she said.</p>
<p>“That is probably the reason why Leo knows that we would have to return to Moresby first,” Lady Emma said. She paused for a moment, but Lady Ellie did not say anything, waiting instead for her old friend to say something, because if she was being honest, Lady Ellie would have to admit that she already had a fair idea as to what it was that Lady Emma wanted to say.</p>
<p>“I was hoping to ask for your permission to return home next week,” Lady Emma suddenly said, and Lady Ellie would have to admit that that was exactly what she was expecting from her old friend.</p>
<p>A smile came across the face of the Marchioness, but before Lady Emma could say anything, Lady Ellie broke the silence, “I need a favor from you first,” she said, and when Lady Emma inclined her head toward the direction of the Marchioness, the smile that was already on the face of Lady Ellie widened even more, “I want you to invite me to your wedding.”</p>
<p>The expression on the face of Lady Emma caused the smile that was on the face of Lady Ellie to widen in surprise, but then it was the turn of the Countess to smile, and the smile that appeared on the face of Lady Emma was quickly followed by amused laughter that escaped through the lips of the Countess.</p>
<p>“You would be required to attend, as you would be maid-of-honor,” Lady Emma replied, and that single sentence caused the two of them to break into laughter. Of course, just because the Countess had already declared her intention to make the Marchioness as her maid-of-honor, and just because there was an implied acceptance on the part of the Marchioness, it does not mean that Lady Ellie can skip verbally confirming her ascent to the what was obviously a request.</p>
<p>It was at that moment, however, that the same door that Lady Emma had used to enter the living room – and the same one that the maids and the other ladies-in-waiting had used to walk out of the room – suddenly opened with such force that neither of the two ladies who were in the living room at that moment would have been surprised if the door had actually unhinged from the frame of the same.</p>
<p>The force that the door had opened compelled both Lady Ellie and Lady Emma to turn their attention toward that direction, with the two of them about to ask the person who had opened the door why they opened it the way that they had, but before a single sound escape from the lips of Lady Ellie – or Lady Emma, for that matter – she was forced to pause when she saw the expression on the face of the woman who entered the room.</p>
<p>Lady Ellie, of course, recognized who the lady who had entered the room was, after all, she is one of the ladies-in-waiting assigned to the Marchioness of Havenstark, though Lady Ellie would have to admit that this is actually the first time that she had seen her with such a worried expression on her face.</p>
<p>That expression that her other lady-in-waiting was wearing was more than enough to make the Marchioness pause, and judging from the way that Lady Emma had not launched into a tirade at that moment, it was clear that the Countess of Gray Haven was also surprised. Of course, as neither Lady Ellie nor Lady Emma had said anything, it only gave the other lady-in-waiting the opportunity to speak, though at that moment, it could be said that that was exactly what Lady Ellie and Lady Emma wanted her to do.</p>
<p>“They have detected warp signatures from the outer edge of the system,” she said, and though those words had caused a confused expression to appear on the face of Lady Ellie – and she did not have to turn her attention toward the direction of Lady Emma as she knew her old friend would have that same confused expression written on her face – the confusion evaporated a few moments later as the young woman in front of her continued to speak, “They have detected more than a hundred distinct signatures, and they say that it is coming from the direction of Sirius.”</p>
<p>Lady Ellie turned toward the direction of Lady Emma at that moment, and by the time that she did, she was able to confirm that the Countess had also turned her attention toward the Marchioness. Neither one of them spoke, but even if that was the case, both of them knew that it was not the number of warp signatures that is the greatest concern, rather, it was the direction from where the signature was coming from, after all, while that direction leads toward the source of all of humanity, no one had ever been able to return from a trip from that source in more than two thousand years.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Ready Room Barracks, Pence Castle, Madison City</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Serendipity, Stenlar Star System, Kingdom of Crotoa</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Sir Adrian Christian ‘Ian’ Sherfield</strong>
</p>
<p>There must have been a hundred knights seated on an assortment of seats by the time that he had entered the room, and exactly how serious the situation that they were in at that moment was perhaps best demonstrated by the fact that most of the men who are already inside the rather large room had not even turned their attention toward him when he entered the room, and that was even if he had entered through the door at the front of the room which would have meant that everyone could see him enter the room.</p>
<p>Of course, there was another reason why he had used the doors at the front of the room, and that was because the seat that was designated for his use was at the front of the room. While the other knights that are inside the room at that moment did not have designated seats, the same could not be said for the vice-commander of the Knight-Order that had been sent to this planet in order to provide security coverage for the eldest niece of the king.</p>
<p>That, of course, was what was at the forefront of the mind of Sir Adrian Christian ‘Ian’ Sherfield as he took his seat at the front row, and he had barely settled in the chair before he turned his attention toward the direction of the same door that he had used to enter the room. By the time that he had turned his attention toward that room, however, there were already other people who are half-walking, half-running into the ready room through the same door, including several officers who also took seats close to where Sir Ian was seated.</p>
<p>If he was being honest, however, Sir Ian would have to admit that he kept most of his attention upon a particular knight who had entered the room with that particular group. He was easily able to keep his attention upon his colleague because of the fact that the knight that he had been paying attention to had decided to pick a seat beside the one where Sir Ian was seated.</p>
<p>“Do you have any idea what is going on?” Sir Leo asked at the same time that he pulled the seat beside the one where Sir Ian was seated. The tone that the older – though not by much really – knight had used told Sir Ian that he was rather irritated by this emergency call, and the vice-commander did not really need to ask him where the irritation that he was feeling was coming from in order to understand the reasoning behind the tone.</p>
<p>“Unfortunately, not,” Sir Ian replied. Perhaps it was because he wanted to distract his old friend – they had began training to become knights at almost the same day, and they had began their training in the same Ducal House – or perhaps it was because he was just curious – after all, the Ducal House where the two of them had began their training is also the same Ducal House where the woman that Sir Leo had asked to marry him but a couple of minutes ago had come from – but the next words that escaped from the lips of Sir Ian was a question in regards to that, “What did she say?” he asked.</p>
<p>Whatever irritation it was that Sir Leo was feeling at that moment evidently fled in the face of the question that his colleague had asked, and Sir Ian could see the wide smile that appeared on the face of his old friend. It was obvious from that smile that he was wearing that he was happy, and thus, even if the man had not actually answered the question that Sir Ian had asked, it was rather obvious what the answer would be.</p>
<p>Even if that was the case, however, the vice-commander did not interrupt his best friend as he realized that he actually wanted to hear him actually say it out loud, if only so as to remind Sir Leo of the fact that the woman that he loved had actually said yes to his proposal.</p>
<p>“She said yes,” Sir Leo replied. The tone that he had used to say that clued Sir Ian in to the fact that his old friend was trying his best to keep it as nonchalant as possible, yet even if that was the case, there was actually nothing that the older knight could do or say at that moment that would have told Sir Ian that he was not happy. Indeed, everything that Sir Leo was doing at that moment was doing the exact opposite, as he was so giddy, Sir Ian would have to admit that he thought that the older knight could fly on his own without the use of any devices.</p>
<p>The happiness that Sir Leo felt at that moment many not be contagious – because if it was, then Sir Ian was sure that everyone in the ready room at that moment would have been happy as well – but it was still reflected on the face of the vice-commander, though in the case of Sir Ian, it was more the fact that he was happy for his friend and for the woman that had agreed to marry him, after all, Lady Emma is also her friend.</p>
<p>“His Grace, the Duke of Moresby had asked me to remind you that you are supposed to report what the answer of the Countess was in person,” Sir Ian suddenly said, and with that single sentence, he reminded his old friend that he was the one who had carried the letter that the father of Lady Emma had sent in response to an earlier request on the part of Sir Leo.</p>
<p>The older knight turned his complete attention toward the direction of Sir Ian, and the latter could see a faux-irritated expression on the face of his old friend. That faux-irritated expression, however, quickly disappeared a few moments later as Sir Leo replied in a rather enthusiastic voice, “Of course,” and Sir Ian was sure that the other knights in the room would have turned their attention toward them at that moment, if not for the fact that a second or two after Sir Leo had replied, the heavy footsteps of a man entering the room had made everyone turn their attention toward the direction where the sound was coming from.</p>
<p>If he was being honest, Sir Ian would have to admit that he had already recognized who was entering the room even before he had turned his attention toward the direction where the sound was coming from, and he was sure that he is not the only one, after all, the heavy footsteps of the commander of their Knight-Order was rather distinct.</p>
<p>Knight-General Sir Thomas Hugh Clancy placed himself in front of the knights who are members of the Knight-Order that he leads, and Sir Ian watched as he scanned the room. To the vice-commander, it seemed as if their commanding officer had kept his gaze focused upon Sir Leo far longer than usual, and that was the only indication that Sir Ian needed in order to confirm that their commander had already gotten wind of the fact that Sir Leo had proposed to Lady Emma.</p>
<p>Indeed, when the Knight-General spoke a few moments later, it was toward the direction of Sir Leo, “I believe that congratulations are in order, Sir Leo,” he said, and when he paused, Sir Ian got the distinct impression that their commander wanted the others to believe that the reason that they had been gathered at that moment was because of the fact that Sir Leo had proposed.</p>
<p>The vice-commander knew, however, that there was no way that that was the case, as even if their commanding officer had wanted to make a big thing out of the fact that Sir Leo had proposed to one of the ladies-in-waiting of the princess that they are supposed to be protecting, Sir Thomas would not have made such a big production out of it. From the way that the sirens had been sounding inside the castle, it was obvious that something big was happening.</p>
<p>That was confirmed a few moments later as the Knight-General added,” Unfortunately, that is not the reason why those sirens are blaring like there is no tomorrow,” he said. It was only at that moment that the Knight-General had turned his attention away from Sir Leo, focusing it instead toward Sir Ian who, as vice-commander, would have been expected to be the one that the Knight-General would have focused his attention upon in the first place.</p>
<p>“It would seem that we have pirates approaching our position,” the Knight-General said. He actually smiled as he added, “Either they have not hear that the Knight-Order of Eurus is in position, or they are so hungry that they have decided to impale themselves upon our swords.”</p>
<p>The amused laughter that escaped from the lips of the other knights told Sir Ian that they could see the humor behind the words that their commander had uttered, and if he was being honest, the vice-commander would have to admit that he could see the humor as well. In any case, despite the seeming contempt that he had displayed, it was not as if Sir Thomas was underestimating the approaching pirates, and indeed, the fact that he had gathered all of the knights that he had available at that moment was testament to that.</p>
<p>“I am still trying to get an accurate count on the number of pirate ships approaching the planet,” the Knight-General added, “The controllers at the traffic center swears that they have detected more than a hundred individual warp signatures, but I do not think that even the ‘Dagger of the Void’ could have gathered that many ships.”</p>
<p>Sir Ian nodded as he actually agreed with the assessment of their commander. It is the nature of pirates to distrust each other, and because that is the case, it is rather difficult for them to find common ground between themselves. That, in turn, meant that they are more likely to kill each other rather than work together.</p>
<p>“In any case,” the voice of Sir Thomas tore Sir Ian out of the reverie that he had not even realized he had fallen into, but he was able to stop himself from flinching when he realized what was happening, and instead, he focused his attention upon the visage of his commanding officer, “While I believe that the aerospace defense forces and the fleet on station would be able to take care of this problem, it would not do for us to not have a representative up there, so I want you to take your company up there, Sir Ian.”</p>
<p>The vice-commander did not even hesitate, “Of course, Sir,” he said. He actually smiled at that moment, and he would have to admit that that was because he was allowing his confidence to get the better of him, “I doubt that we would be taking part in this slaughter though.”</p>
<p>Amused laughter escaped from the lips of the other gathered knights, and that was the only thing that the vice-commander needed to hear in order to know that it was not only he who was feeling supremely confident at that moment. The laughter that escaped from the mouth of his comrades told him that they share the same confidence that Sir Ian was feeling at that moment, and if he was being honest, the vice-commander would have to admit that it was not as if he could not see where their confidence was coming from.</p>
<p>A group of pirates throwing themselves against prepared defenses is simply asking for those manning those defenses to take care of them, and the knights under the command of Sir Thomas had already indicated that they are more than happy making that wish a reality.</p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The assault on Serendipity heats up as those on the surface of the planet are left wondering who it is that is attacking them.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>TWO</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Lady Eleanor Barnes, Marchioness of Havenstark, arrives at Serendipity</strong>
</p>
<p><strong>Madison City</strong> – the eldest niece of King Henry III arrived in Madison City yesterday, the 7<sup>th</sup> of July 1949 AE for what has been announced by the Royal Palace as an extended vacation with members of the House of Spence. Lady Eleanor Elizabeth Barnes, Marchioness of Havenstark, had not been photographed arriving into the city but it is widely known that she is now staying with her hosts in Pence Castle in this city since the date in question.</p>
<p>The eldest daughter of Duke Timothy Clarence Barnes, Duke of Harkes and younger brother to King Henry III, Lady Eleanor – or Ellie as she prefers to be called – is the eldest niece of the King and had been appointed to her current peerage rank of Marchioness of Havenstark at the age of twenty-one following her completion of tertiary education. It is widely speculated that she would not be expected to have another peerage rank for a quite a while yet as the position of Duchess – which would be the next higher rank for the Marchioness – is typically reserved as a wedding gift from the monarch to his nieces and daughters.</p>
<p>Despite numerous proposals for the hand of the Marchioness of Havenstark in marriage, however, sources from within the Royal Palace had indicated that the Marchioness had never said yes to anyone, and that the longest that she had ever been in the company of men who are not members of her family would be with her bodyguards, about five hundred of whom are expected to accompany her for this long-term vacation in Serendipity, along with several members of the personal staff of the Marchioness and her ladies-in-waiting.</p>
<p>Sources from within Pence Castle, on the other hand, had confirmed that the presence of the Marchioness of Havenstark would be for a long-term vacation as the Marchioness had indicated that she would have preferred to stay away from the capital while the business of deciding the official successor to the position of Crown Prince – which had become empty following an incident a few months ago during which time the King had stripped his eldest son of the title – has been decided.</p>
<p>It has been said that because of her rather unique position as the favorite niece of the King, the assistance of Lady Ellie been sought by her cousins in order to convince the King of their respective cases, though the Marchioness herself – or any members of her staff – had yet to comment on this matter.</p>
<p>On the other hand, there is speculation that the reason why the Marchioness had arrived in Serendipity is to test the waters – so to speak – as well as her alleged compatibility with the eldest son of Duke Ryan. Earl Damian Pence of Ravenspole is only four years younger than the Marchioness of Havenstark and it has been speculated that the Marchioness would have preferred a younger partner who has little to no claim to the Throne of the Kingdom of Crotoa.</p>
<p>The fact that neither Pence Castle nor the Royal Palace had so much as dropped clues as to the duration of the ‘vacation’ of Lady Ellie has been taken to mean that the Marchioness intended to stay for as long as possible in order to evaluate the suitability of the eldest son of Duke Ryan for such a role.</p>
<p>There are also speculations in regards to the eldest daughter – and child – of Duke Ryan and her connection with Lady Ellie. It might be remembered that Lady Elizabeth Pence, Countess of Madison, had recently finished her doctorate studies and had returned to Serendipity and the side of her father. Lady Ava – as Lady Elizabeth prefers to be called – had not been seen in public since the divorce of her parents when Lady Ava was six years old, and though it has been said that she had met with her father numerous times in the capital, it could also be said that the Countess of Madison had grown up in the capital rather than in Serendipity.</p>
<p>As a fellow university graduate – and indeed, Lady Ellie and Lady Ava had gone to the same university – it could be speculated that the two ladies are close to each other.</p>
<p>Whatever else may be the reason for the visit of the Marchioness of Havenstark, however, it cannot be denied that aside from her bodyguards, Lady Ellie would also be bringing her ladies-in-waiting, including her long-time aide and chief lady-in-waiting, Lady Emma Charlotte Watts, Countess of Gray Haven who had made a name for herself in the capital as a theater actress. So far, however, no theater troupe had responded to requests for comments and confirmation if the Countess had accepted any offer for starring or supporting roles, though one could imagine that it would only be a matter of time.</p>
<ul>
<li>Headline, Madison Coronet Times (July 8, 1949 AE)</li>
</ul>
<p>
  <em>One may be surprised as to the reason why garbage like this is included in my daily intelligence packets, but I also cannot deny that there are some pieces of information here that are to my interest. Such interests, however, are for my personal, rather than my professional side. I would like to have a talk with the person who is in charge of compiling my daily intelligence briefing packets and am now giving advance notice to him that I would be asking him as to why he thought that it was a good idea to include this piece of information – which I would classify as just a notch above ‘useless’ – in my packet.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Of course, not everything that is written here is useless, because when one reads between the lines, one could get some information that may be considered useful, though, honestly, that comment about there being five hundred knights to guard the niece of their king is probably inaccurate as if it was me, I would send the entire Order tasked with protecting her. Our Ancestors know that they would not have had a job otherwise.</em>
</p>
<p><em>As for the tone of this article, it is rather obvious that the reporter does not see the eldest daughter of their local lord in the best of light, though that is probably best explained by the what I could only assume is rebellion on the part of the ‘Countess of Madison’.</em> <em>Honestly though, that comment about the two of them becoming close because they went to the same University takes the cake in the absurdity of all these speculations. </em></p>
<p>
  <em>I may be wrong, but I seem to remember that they are not the same age, and there is no guarantee that they even studied the same thing. Oh yes, by the way, the only reason that I had taken the time to comment on this is because I am bored, and because I am so bored, I had thought to actually pick the most absurd piece of ‘intelligence’ in my briefing packet, and surprise, surprise, I picked this one.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Congratulations to the person who thought that it was a good idea to add a piece of tabloid gossip in the intelligence packet of his commanding officer.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>You know what, I am so bored that while I was thinking of what to write on the margins of this report, I have made a decision to actually go to that planet and see if the lady-in-waiting of the Marchioness mentioned in the article had decided to star in one of those theater shows that she is expected to star at. You never know, she may prove very talented.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Fair warning though, I am bringing the Chief-of-Staff with me, so, to the person who thought that it is a good idea to include this gossip piece in my intelligence packet, you probably would also have to deal with Vice Admiral Cline the moment that we return. Actually, you better pray that you would be dealing with the Chief-of-Staff, because if he intends to deal with you, then I do not have to, and we both know what is liable to happen if I am the one who would have to deal with you.</em>
</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>From the gathered papers of Lord High Admiral Duke Sir Alexander Charles York prior to the Great Crusade and the Invasion of Serendipity (Dated September 16, 1949 AE) </strong></li>
</ul>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Aboard <em>HMS Iron Duke</em>, Fleet Flagship, Imperial Terra Grand Fleet</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Outer Edge of the Stenlar Star System, Kingdom of Crotoa</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Lord Alexander Charles York</strong>
</p>
<p>He would be the first to admit that he actually does not have a very deep understanding of exactly how warp works, and it rankled him that that would be the case, though not as much as he would admittedly have expected. He could distinctly remember that, back when he was a midshipman in the Imperial Naval Academy – Victoria, that kind of admission – even if only to himself – would have seen him heading to the nearest library in order to look up information about it, but at the same time that that thought entered the forefront of his mind, Lord Alexander told himself that that was exactly what he had done back then.</p>
<p>The fact that he still does not have a very deep understanding of exactly how warp woks is testament to the fact that he was not successful in that endeavour, yet with a subtle shake of his head, the General-Admiral reminded himself that it was not as if they were expected to truly understand how warp works. He could also remember that they actually had classes explaining how it works – precisely because it is one of two methods by which they could travel faster-than-light – but he could also distinctly remember having fallen asleep in that class. The fact that they had not been punished for it – because he was hardly the only one who had fallen asleep, and indeed, it would have been easier to count the number of people who had not fallen asleep – told him that even the instructors were expecting the midshipmen to fall asleep.</p>
<p>Lord Alexander once more subtly shook his head as he forced himself to return to the present. He turned his attention toward the screens mounted on the walls of the bridge even as he noted that while he could see the ship that was supposed to be ahead of his own as well as those ships who are supposed to be to the side of his flagship and those who are supposed to be behind, he actually could not see even the faintest hint of light coming from the stars that are supposed to be everywhere.</p>
<p>It was as if they are inside some sort of bubble that light itself cannot penetrate, and with a start, the General-Admiral reminded himself that that was actually the case, or at least, that was what he could remember from the lectures that he had gone through as a student. The light that allowed him to see the other ships surrounding his flagship actually came from the exterior lights of his flagship and the exterior lights of the other ships, and he knew that the reason why they have those lights in the first place was because it was intended to warn those around the ships when they are moving into formation.</p>
<p>Inside the bubble created by the warp, it was impossible for ships to move from the position that they were in before they entered the same – hence, the reason why they had to move into formation first before they actually entered the warp – but the lights were kept on because it was a pain having to turn them off. The fact that it allowed those inside the ships inside the bubble could use those lights to see the other ships around them was of secondary concern.</p>
<p>What Lord Alexander does know about warp is that it is old enough that humans have been using it even before the Great Exile, which meant that it was not a technology that was exclusive to the Holy Empire. It did not mean, however, that the Holy Empire is using the exact same warp drives as their cousins who had exiled themselves, because the warp-drive that the ships of the Holy Empire are equipped with are far more effective, though again, exactly how, Lord Alexander does not know.</p>
<p>The other method by which ships could travel faster-than-light – the hyper-drive – is different from the warp-drive, but rather than lose himself in thinking about how <em>that </em>works – which would not have made much of a difference anyway, because Lord Alexander would have to admit that he does not know as well – the General-Admiral instead turned his attention back toward the table that was behind him.</p>
<p>He did not even show any sign of surprise when he saw that most of the men who had been there back when he had ordered the fleet to enter into warp – it had been less than ten minutes ago – were now gone, and without even asking the few remaining men there, he knew that the Deputy Chiefs-of-Staff – for it was actually only Vice Admiral Cline, Rear Admiral Ashford, and a contingent of four junior warrant officers who are tasked with relaying information just in case the automated systems fail have remained – have already dispersed back to the operations room.</p>
<p>They are, after all, heading into sure combat, and having the highest ranking officers of the command staff in one room – even if it was one of the most secure and heavily armored room in the fleet – was not encouraged. Indeed, the only reason why Vice Admiral Cline and Rear Admiral Ashford are allowed to be in the same bridge as Lord Alexander is because of their non-official roles as advisors – well, non-official in the case of Vice Admiral Cline, because Chief Military Advisor is the title of Rear Admiral Ashford – as well as the fact that the second-in-command – whose flagship is actually to the starboard side of the flagship of Lord Alexander at that moment – has his own Chief-of-Staff and Chief Military Advisor.</p>
<p>The second-in-command of the Imperial Terra Grand Fleet, however, does not have the Deputy Chiefs-of-Staff who could take over right away in the event that the Supreme Fleet Flagship were to be lost with all hands.</p>
<p>‘<em>Of course, that is assuming that they could even hit the bridge,’</em> Lord Alexander thought, and a few moments later, he reminded himself that his flagship is a <em>Duke</em>-class battleship, and the thickest armor in this beast is eighteen inches thick.</p>
<p>Lord Alexander shook his head before he once more forced himself to return to the present, and by the time that he did so, he found himself standing directly in front of the table where the members of his staff had been gathered before. A large part of the image that was not projected by the table remained to be the formation of the ships of the fleet in real time, but it was upon a smaller part of the image that was being projected that Lord Alexander turned his attention upon, because that image was showing the ready-status of all of the war-making parts of his flagship.</p>
<p>A voice at the back of his mind – and he knew that it was his own – reminded Lord Alexander that there was no need for him to actually check that information because making sure that the flagship is ready for combat is actually the role of the captain, and he knew that on the second level of this multi-level bridge, his flag-captain was even now probably looking at the exact same information that Lord Alexander was looking at through his own projector table, but the General-Admiral ignored the voice at the back of his head even as he studied the readiness level of his flagship, in particular, the four giant turrets housing the main twenty-inch battery of the battleship.</p>
<p>Lord Alexander actually smiled at that moment, and if he was being honest, the General-Admiral would have to admit that the reason behind the smile that he was now wearing was because of those twenty-inch guns. As the commander of the fleet, he received daily briefings in regards to the capabilities of foreign nations, and he knew for a fact that there is no nation out there who possess a battleship with twenty-inch guns, indeed, he knows for a fact that there is no nation out there that could produce a battleship – or any ship for that matter – that has a main battery larger than sixteen-inches.</p>
<p>‘<em>Although there are some indications that some of them are planning on upping the caliber of their battleship artillery,’</em> Lord Alexander thought. He did not, however, pursue that line of thought, and instead, he found himself thinking about one particular piece of intelligence that he had received in regards to the planet that they are about to invade.</p>
<p>The smile that was on the face of Lord Alexander widened even more even as he privately admitted to himself that he was rather irritated when he got his hand on the news article announcing the arrival of the niece of the King of Crotoa on Serendipity, and he most certainly did not make secret his feelings on the matter, sending that particular piece of briefing packet back to his Deputy Chief-of-Staff for Intelligence with a long-worded note.</p>
<p>Of course, when he got back from the visit that he had indicated in that long-worded note that he was going to do, he also sent a small thank you note to his Deputy Chief-of-Staff for Intelligence, and even now, he was sure that the man did not know what that thank you note was for, after all, said Deputy Chief-of-Staff had been one of those who had confused expression on his face when Vice Admiral Cline talked about the woman that he had met during that trip.</p>
<p>He turned his attention toward the direction of Vice Admiral Cline at that moment, and he found him in silent consultation with Rear Admiral Ashford and one of the junior warrant officers, with said warrant officer holding a tablet in such a way as to suggest that he was showing the information being displayed over the same to the two higher ranking officers.</p>
<p>“Problem?” Lord Alexander asked as he approached them. As he spoke, the three officers – the warrant officer may be a junior warrant officer, but he still an officer nonetheless – turned their attention toward his direction, and he was privately pleased when he saw that none of them actually stiffened to attention – it would have been worst if one of them had actually saluted, but none of them also did that – when they saw him approaching.</p>
<p>The expression on the face of the warrant officer told the General-Admiral that he wanted to report, but he kept his lips closed and allowed Vice Admiral Cline to be the one to make the report, “Nothing that we have not expected,” he said. Lord Alexander caught the brief pause of his Chief-of-Staff before Vice Admiral Cline allowed a small sigh to escape from his lips, and that small sigh was all that Lord Alexander needed to see and hear in order to know that his Chief-of-Staff was disappointed.</p>
<p>Exactly what Vice Admiral Cline was disappointed about became obvious a few moments later as he added, “We are seeing increased traffic from surface to orbit, and long-range scan suggests that the shuttles returning from orbit are lighter than the ones coming up, but again that is to be expected, as is the increase in temperatures from the hangars that we had long identified as berths for their defense warships.”</p>
<p>Lord Alexander merely nodded in acknowledgement of the report as he did not think that there was a need for him to say anything in regards to those reports, and the reason why they – as in the enemy – are acting the way that they are acting.</p>
<p>The shuttles are lighter when they are returning to the surface of the planet because they are not bringing anything down, though it is rather obvious that they are bringing personnel up in order to man the defenses around the orbit of the planet, including their warships, which would, in turn, explain the increase in the temperature in the berths that they had long ago identified as being dedicated to the warships assigned to this sector of Crotoa space.</p>
<p>Lord Alexander also did not think that there was a need for him to express his disappointment – the way that Vice Admiral Cline had delivered the report most certainly advertised that already – because the fact that they – that is, the enemy – are just now rushing their personnel from surface to orbit is testament to the fact that they are not prepared for battle.</p>
<p>Perhaps, the General-Admiral though, he should cut them some slack, after all, this system is what one would technically call a back-water system. From the point-of-view of the central authority of the Kingdom of Crotoa, there is nothing here worth defending against, after all, it is only Terra and the Dark Systems – so called because all who enter those systems tend to never return – that are here, but that, Lord Alexander told himself, is precisely the reason why the central authorities of the Kingdom of Crotoa should have been paying attention to this place.</p>
<p>“Do you have, at least, a rough estimate of what kind of opposition we would face here?” Lord Alexander asked. The question was directed not toward his Chief-of-Staff or his Chief Military Advisor, but toward the junior warrant officer. If he was being honest, the General-Admiral would have to admit that he actually did not need an answer, because he already knew what kind of opposition it was that they would meet, but just as he had expected, the junior officer shook his head and indicated that he actually has no idea how to answer the question that the General-Admiral had asked of him.</p>
<p>He was actually able to place a stern expression on his face before he shook his head and in reaction to what he was doing, Lord Alexander saw the junior warrant part his lips. It was evident that he was going to say something, though whatever that something that he wanted to say was, the General-Admiral did not give him the chance to speak.</p>
<p>“The enemy is underestimating us,” he said in a tone that he would have guessed was neutral, though Lord Alexander knew that from the point-of-view of the junior warrant, the General-Admiral may as well be screaming at him. Indeed, having been at the receiving end of such treatment back when he was younger, Lord Alexander knew for a fact that, at that moment, the junior warrant would have probably preferred it if Lord Alexander was actually screaming at him, “Make sure you never make the same mistake.”</p>
<p>“Aye, Sir,” the junior warrant officer replied at the same time that he stiffened in attention. A few moments later, Rear Admiral Ashford took the tablet that the warrant officer was holding at the same time that Lord Alexander inclined his head toward one side while keeping his gaze focused upon the younger man.</p>
<p>The warrant officer did not salute – because that would have been inappropriate – before he took a single step back and executed a perfect parade-turn about-face – which made Lord Alexander cringe as there was no need for that if they are not in the parade grounds – and walked away.</p>
<p>“Perhaps we are being a bit dogmatic about the way we teach our officers and enlisted men in the academies and recruitment centers,” Lord Alexander said a few moments later. He kept his gaze focused upon the junior warrant and watched as he rejoined his fellow junior officers before he returned his gaze toward Vice Admiral Cline and Rear Admiral Ashford, “Well?” he asked.</p>
<p>Rear Admiral Ashford shook his head, but it was Vice Admiral Cline who spoke a few moments later, “Little to no indication that there is anything more than two divisions of capital ships in the system, probably just five or so squadrons of lighter and escort warships, though because we are so close to the planet, we are probably looking at a thousand or so fast-attack-crafts, mostly launched from the surface.”</p>
<p>“Latest intelligence report from the surface,” Rear Admiral Ashford added at the same time that he glanced toward the direction of Vice Admiral Cline, “indicates that there are no surface-to-orbit emplacements, though we do know that there are at least thirty ballistic missile submarines on patrol at any given time.”</p>
<p>The latest intelligence that they are receiving actually come from some agents that have been left behind on the planet, and the reason why they are only receiving these reports now is because the agents only have short-wave transmitters. Lord Alexander supposed that they could equip the cells with long-range transmitters, but that would make them quite obvious to the local authorities.</p>
<p>Lord Alexander nodded at the same time that he told himself that it is actually those submarines that are the biggest threat. A dozen ballistic missiles fired from the surface of a planet could seriously hurt a destroyer, but it could wreak havoc upon the shuttles that would be delivering the marines to the surface of the planet, and because of the way that the defenses in the area are set-up, an orbital invasion is necessary.</p>
<p>‘<em>Although I doubt that that is their intention,’</em> Lord Alexander thought as he shook his head, and this time, he did not even bother to hide the fact that he was shaking his head from his subordinates. They – that is, the enemy – are also operating under the assumption that a victory on the ground could always be reversed by the massed guns of the orbiting fleet, thus, when one is in battle, it is usually not considered a good option – tactically or strategically – to depend upon surface combat as the decisive engagement.</p>
<p>“We would have to increase the number of orbit-to-surface strike flights then,” Lord Alexander said, “I am sure that ‘Maria’ and ‘Lora’ would be more than happy to make that happen.”</p>
<p>Although Lord Alexander had mentioned names and he was actually referring to actual people when he used those names, the names that he had used are actually code words. In the Imperial Terra Grand Fleet, there are sixteen battlegroups, and ‘Maria’ and ‘Lora’ are the names of the two battlegroups centered around the aircraft carriers of the Imperial Terra Grand Fleet.</p>
<p>At the same time, those names also refer to the commanding officers of those battlegroups – Lord Alexander, as commander of the 9<sup>th</sup> Battleship Group, has his own codename and his is ‘Ilya’. Thus, when Lord Alexander said that ‘Maria’ and ‘Lora’ would be more than happy to make it so, he was referring to the two admirals who have command of those two battlegroups.</p>
<p>“I would actually be happy if we have ‘Adelaide’ and ‘Danielle’ take up positions farther than usual,” Vice Admiral Cline said, “Without the surface-to-orbit emplacement, I do not think that we would have that much need for orbital bombardment, and we can have ‘Adelaide’ and ‘Danielle’ set up trip-wires, especially if we are going to have to increase the number of orbit-to-surface strike craft.”</p>
<p>‘Adelaide’ and ‘Danielle’ refer to two of the four – the others are ‘Bernadette’ and ‘Charlotte’ – battlecruiser groups assigned to the Imperial Terra Grand Fleet.</p>
<p>Lord Alexander turned his attention toward the direction of Rear Admiral Ashford at that moment, a questioning expression on his face. Although, in the end, it is Lord Alexander who would have to make a decision – and if he was being honest, he had already made a decision – it still paid to actually ask for the opinion of the man that he had appointed as his Chief Military Advisor.</p>
<p>“Agreed,” Rear Admiral Ashford said a few moments later. He paused for a brief moment before he added, “We can also detach the light cruisers from ‘Maria’ and ‘Lora’ to orbital bombardment duty just in case, but I recommend sticking them close to the carriers until we actually need them for that assignment.”</p>
<p>Having indicated that he had no wish for a heavy orbital bombardment, Lord Alexander had also impliedly ordered that only light cruisers – with their six-inch guns – would be allowed to take the role of orbital bombardment platforms. Of course, if there is a need for heavier guns, then he is more than prepared to order the heavy cruisers – with their eight-inch guns – into stations. Ordering eight-inch guns into orbital bombardments positions, however, would mean that he is cancelling his earlier instruction that they would only use light orbital bombardment for this operation.</p>
<p>“Well, we would move into this position after we had taken care of the enemy fleet forces in the area,” Vice Admiral Cline suddenly said, and when he said those words, Lord Alexander was forced to admit that his Chief-of-Staff was correct.</p>
<p>A sigh, however, escaped from the lips of the General-Admiral a few moments later, before he said, “I know I said that we should not underestimate the enemy, but they are making that rather hard with all of the intelligence that we are seeing right now.”</p>
<p>Neither Vice Admiral Cline nor Rear Admiral Ashford had actually said anything in response to the words that their commanding officer had uttered, but even if that was the case, Lord Alexander still did not have to turn his attention toward them in order for him to know that both of them agreed with him.</p>
<p>As the three of them had not said anything, silence descended around them, though it did not last for long as a few moments later, alarms began to blare from loudspeakers that were actually buried under the floor where Lord Alexander and the others were standing upon.</p>
<p>“Seems we are about to come out of warp,” Rear Admiral Ashford said a few moments later, though Lord Alexander did note that the sound that was blaring was actually different as it was the pattern that was announcing that they are about to enter into combat momentarily. Considering, however, that they are exiting warp practically beside the moon orbiting the second planet – and here, he could not help but think to himself that this system is rather atypical in the sense that all four planetary bodies have their own small moon orbiting them – then it is highly likely that they would be firing their artillery the moment that they come out of warp.</p>
<p>“Well,” Lord Alexander said a few moments later even as a smile appeared on his face, “I guess I should go talk to them and ask them to surrender before we turn everything into ruins.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Pence Castle, Madison City</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Serendipity, Stenlar Star System, Kingdom of Crotoa</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Lady Elizabeth ‘Ava’ Pence</strong>
</p>
<p>The sound of hurried footsteps echoed around the hallway as the young woman hurriedly walked through the corridor, ignoring the looks that she knew she must be receiving from the other people who are around her. The sounds that she made were loud enough that it would actually cut through the cacophony of the sirens that seemed to be blaring from loudspeakers that seemed to be positioned on the ceiling of the corridor that she was walking through, though if she was being honest, the young woman would have to admit that the blaring sounds that she was hearing was actually irritating her.</p>
<p>‘<em>Sometimes, I really hate this place,’</em> the thought entered the forefront of Lady Elizabeth ‘Ava’ Pence, Countess of Madison at the same time that she mentally noted that the blaring sounds that were echoing around the corridor had picked up at the very start of the sequence once more. She shook her head a few more moments later, however, as she could not help but amend her thoughts, because it was not just ‘sometimes’ that she hated this place, rather, she actually hated this very place from the very beginning.</p>
<p>The eldest daughter of the ruling Duke of Serendipity did not even pause as she wondered exactly when it was that she first started to hate this castle, though not even five seconds – and because she was taking one step every second, that meant that barely every five steps – after she had first started to think about it, the answer to the question that she had mentally asked herself came to the forefront of her mind.</p>
<p>Lady Ava was actually born in this castle, and if she had half a mind of it, she could actually head to the room where her mother had delivered her, passing through the room where she knew her father had waited with his hands cradled in his head as he thought about the safety of his wife and would-be daughter.</p>
<p>Of course, the Countess of Madison was not heading toward the direction of the room where she had drawn her first breath – and she would have to admit that while part of the reason why she was not heading there is because there are far more important things that she had to worry about at that moment, the biggest reason why she was not heading there was because she could not help but think about how her father had abandoned her mother whenever she would see that room.</p>
<p>A sigh escaped from the lips of Lady Ava even as she slowed down – this time, taking one step for every two seconds – and because she slowed down, the young woman who had been following after her would be able to catch up with her, though it would still take some time before her lady-in-waiting could catch up to her. It was not, however, so that her lady-in-waiting could catch up after her that the Countess had slowed down, rather, it was because she found herself thinking about something else.</p>
<p>Intellectually – and there is no one in the planet who could claim that the eldest daughter of the Duke of Winnipeg is not an intellectual – Lady Ava knew that her father had not really left her mother, and from a purely unbiased – that is, if she were to look at it from the point-of-view of someone who is not a member of the family – view, the fact of the divorce of the Duke of Winnipeg and his first wife was purely justified.</p>
<p>In order to strengthen his claim to the Duchy, Lady Ava knew that her father needed a wife who could support him politically, and at the same time, she knew that the inability of her father to devote more of his time to her mother had driven her mother into the arms of temporary lovers. She had been six years of age when the divorce came through, but even at that age, she knew that her father and mother had both sighed in relief when their marriage had ended, though she was sure that her father had been utterly shocked when the family court that handled their divorce awarded custody over the children of the Duke – Lady Ava and her younger brother – to their mother rather than their father.</p>
<p>‘<em>And that is the reason why I tend to take the side of my mother,’</em> Lady Ava thought, though at the same time, she told herself that there is also the fact that her mother had encouraged her to take things that her father would not have allowed her to do, foremost of which is to finish her advance studies.</p>
<p>A smile actually came across the face of Lady Ava at that moment, and the reason for that smile was because she reminded herself at that moment of the fact that she is the only member of her family who had attained a doctorate on her own work, unlike most of the male members of the family whose doctorate degrees were handed to them by the local universities who are eager to get a rubber-stamp of approval from the ruling lords. Certainly, Lady Ava knew that she is the first female member of the House of Pence to obtain a doctorate.</p>
<p>It had been her own way of rebelling against her father, Lady Ava reminded herself, and in a strange way, it was a highly successful one, because it not only made him anxious, it was also something that resulted favorably for herself, and not only from the view of her educational attainment. It had also given her an excuse to not attend the numerous parties – ‘<em>two hundred seventeen since I turned eighteen</em>,’ she thought – that her father had hosted with the intention of using them to find partners for his children. Last that Lady Ava had heard, her own brother – who had returned to Pence Castle first, because whatever else may be the situation, he is the heir to the House of Pence Family name – had found a myriad of noble daughters and he could not actually decide who to pursue.</p>
<p>‘<em>As for me, I do not really care,’</em> she thought before she reminded herself that when the time comes, she would probably marry the one that her father recommended the least, and she had to add the qualifier ‘probably’ as she was not sure if her father – because he had been clued in to what she would do – would intentionally recommend his favored candidate the least. If she was being honest, however, Lady Ava would have to admit that she really would have preferred it if the person that she would be with for the rest of her life would be someone who would allow her to live her life, not only the way that she sees fit but, more importantly, in the most interesting of ways possible.</p>
<p>‘<em>May you live in interesting times is a curse from an ancient culture back when humanity is limited to the surface of only one planet,’</em> Lady Ava thought, ‘<em>and in some ways, that is still rather valid, but I would really want nothing more than to live in interesting times.’</em></p>
<p>As she turned toward the final corridor that she knew would lead to the office of her father, the Countess of Madison paused and she focused her gaze upon the corridor in front of her. This particular passageway was different from the corridors that she had already gone through in the sense that it was narrower, though that was not because of the way that corridor was constructed, but more to do with the decorations on the corridor, after all, this particular passageway was flanked on either side by full suits of armor, and some of them are things that Lady Ava had only seen before in museums.</p>
<p>‘<em>Perhaps this is where my interest in history had begun,’</em> she thought with a smile even as she reminded herself that each and every single piece of armor that one could see here was a gift to her father or one of her ancestors, and each and every single one of them had an interesting history. It was also true that, when she was five, she had memorized the family names of the people who had given these suits of armor, and by the age of six, she could tell the history of half of them.</p>
<p>It had been, Lady Ava reminded herself, a rather pathetic and ultimately futile attempt on the part of the then toddler to force her parents to remain together, because her father had promised her that he would give her whatever it is that she wanted if she were to be able to recite the names of the people who had given the armors.</p>
<p>‘<em>And perhaps that is another reason why I have issues with my father,’</em> she thought with an ironic smile even as she told herself that it was rather obvious that her father had not actually followed through with that promise, after all, despite everything that he had said, the Duke of Pence still divorced his first wife.</p>
<p>“My Lady,” the woman who was assigned as the lady-in-waiting of the Countess of Madison was forced to return to the present a few moments later, and before she could stop herself, she turned her attention toward the direction where the voice came from. She had to physically stop herself from frowning when she saw the face of her current lady-in-waiting – a daughter from one of the local nobles – at the same time that she found herself silently wishing that this young woman in front of her is not one of those whom her brother had chosen as a possible wife.</p>
<p>‘<em>That would mean that she would become my sister-in-law, and I’d rather that that does not happen,’</em> she thought.</p>
<p>From the expression on the face of her lady-in-waiting, it was rather obvious that she had never before had been challenged to move as fast as Lady Ava had been – having entered the University without using the name of her father, Lady Ava had experienced what it was like to rush from one classroom to another in ten minutes or less – before, and she was just now finding out that that was detrimental to her career if she had been hoping to become the permanent lady-in-waiting to the Countess of Madison.</p>
<p>‘<em>Now why can I not have a lady-in-waiting like the Marchioness?’</em> she asked, but then she mentally shook her head as she reminded herself that the chief lady-in-waiting of the Marchioness of Havenstark has the same peerage rank as Lady Ava herself.</p>
<p>“I think that they are in an important meeting, my Lady,” she heard her lady-in-waiting speak, and that was more than enough to make Lady Ava return to the present. The Countess of Madison turned her attention toward the direction of the visage of her lady-in-waiting with the intention of pointing out that that is the reason why they have gone here in the first place, but she paused when she saw the expression on the face of her companion.</p>
<p>The reason for that was because when she saw the expression on the face of her lady-in-waiting, Lady Ava was certain that her companion believed that that was enough of an excuse for them to not disturb whatever is happening at the other side of the door to the office of her father.</p>
<p>‘<em>I really do hope that you would not become my sister-in-law,’</em> Lady Ava thought at the same time that she made a mental note to talk with her brother the earliest chance that she could get. At the same time that she told herself that it would be far better for her to ignore her lady-in-waiting than actually get into an argument with her, the Countess of Madison purposely marched toward the direction of the door.</p>
<p>She did not even have to turn her attention behind her in order to confirm that the young woman who was vying for the position of chief lady-in-waiting to the Countess of Madison had a shocked expression on her own face, though if she was being honest, Lady Ava would have to admit that that was fortunate, because she was sure that the shocked expression on the face of her companion was more than enough to stun her, even if just momentarily.</p>
<p>“My Lady!” she heard her lady-in-waiting practically screaming – though she was not actually screaming, after all, this is the corridor that would lead to the office of the Duke of Winnipeg and that would be highly improper and inappropriate – a few moments later, though by the time that she had been able to scream, it was already too late because Lady Ava was already in front of the rather non-descript door that would lead to the office of her father.</p>
<p>The pause that the Countess of Madison went through at that moment was not so that her lady-in-waiting could reach her – though to the credit of said lady-in-waiting, she was able to catch up with Lady Ava while the Countess was studying the door in front of her – but had more to do with the Countess silently asking herself why the door that would lead to the office of her father was so non-descript. Indeed, there was not even a guard stationed to guard the door from the outside.</p>
<p>In the end, however, that was of little concern to the Countess, and without even bothering to knock, she wrapped her right hand around the knob on the door before turning it at the same time that she pushed the door open.</p>
<p>The ears of Lady Ava were assaulted by the sound of at least a dozen men speaking at the same time in normal voices, and probably more than two dozen men speaking in hushed tones, and her ears were assaulted by that sound even before she had stepped through the threshold that separated the room from the corridor where the suits of armor were located. The sounds that were entering through her ears, however, were exactly the kind of sounds that she wanted to hear, as it told her that her father – though at that moment, she actually could not see him and she assumed that he was somewhere deeper into the office – and his advisors are taking this situation that they had found themselves in rather seriously.</p>
<p>Indeed, they seem to be so busy talking among themselves that, for at least half a minute or so, no one had even so much as turned their attention toward the direction of Lady Ava, though if she were to cut them some slack, she would have said that the reason for that was because they probably thought that the person who had entered the room was just another minister.</p>
<p>In the end, however, Lady Ava was not able to accomplish the mission that she had given herself – that is, she was hoping to make it to a corner of the room where she knew her father would be – without being spotted and recognized by any of the men inside the room. Of course, even the fact that she had been recognized is something that favored the Countess of Madison and, if she was being honest, she would have to admit that there was a part of her that was actually hoping that that would be the case.</p>
<p>“My Lady,” one of the men inside the room said, and as if him speaking was akin to opening a floodgate – though in this case, it was in the figurative sense, because there was no floodgate in the first place – Lady Ava saw that almost every person inside the room turned their attention toward her.</p>
<p>As for the Countess, herself, she focused her attention toward her father, and because that was the case, she was actually unable to see the person who had called for her attention in the first place. In the end, however, that was of no consequence and a smile appeared on the face of the Countess a few moments later when she saw the uncomfortable expression that appeared on the face of her father when he realized that she was in the room.</p>
<p>The Countess did not even need to ask her father where the uncomfortable look came from, after all, Duke Ryan Philip Pence, Duke of Winnipeg, did not bother to hide – at least from his daughter – that he is uncomfortable with his eldest daughter injecting herself in the daily decision making of the ruling lord of the planet, and while the situation that they had found themselves in right now was not an everyday situation, Lady Ava would have to concede that it, perhaps, falls under that criteria.</p>
<p>No one actually said anything as she made her way to the side of her father, and though she kept her gaze focused upon him, she used her peripheral vision in order to confirm that everyone – and this time, it is everyone – was now looking at her. Usually, she would not have cared about people looking at her, but for one reason or another, for this time, she was feeling a bit uncomfortable so she nonchalantly waved at them at the same time that she could not help but hope that they actually understood what her action meant.</p>
<p>It did not take her long to reach the spot beside her father, but rather than focus her attention upon the visage of the Duke of Winnipeg and the head of the House of Pence, the Countess instead turned her attention toward the surface that was in front of him. The surface was actually covered by a rather large display screen that was displaying the latest data that their long-range scanners are compiling, and Lady Ava only had to look at it once in order to understood the meaning of the information being displayed in the same.</p>
<p>Lady Ava would be the first to admit that these new forms and means of displaying information was something that she was not totally comfortable with – she preferred to read rather than watch – but even if that was the case, she could still understand the meaning of the information being displayed on the screen, and before she could even stop herself, her eyes widened when she saw and interpreted the information that was being displayed.</p>
<p>“I thought they were pulling my legs when they told me that the long-range scanners detected a hundred warp signatures,” she said even as she looked into the admittedly impressive figurative database in her mind as she tried to look for a precedent for what was happening at that moment. It did not take her long to figure out that something like this had never happened before – or if it had, then she does not have any information about it.</p>
<p>“It is rather hard to believe that a hundred different pirate ships have gathered under the command of one leader,” one of the men said, and when Lady Ava turned her attention toward the direction of the speaker, she was able to identify him as Knight-General Clancy, the man in command of the Knight-Order that her – well, there was no other term that she could think of at that moment – teacher had brought with her when she arrived in the planet, “but perhaps we would find our advantage in the numbers that the adversary had brought with him.”</p>
<p>The Countess of Madison did not bother to ask the Knight-General to actually explain what he meant with the words that he had uttered, because she understood what the man was trying to say without him actually saying anything about it.</p>
<p>It was also rather obvious, after all, pirates are, by nature, self-centered and rarely cooperate with each other, thus, if they could somehow find a party in the ranks of those who are about to attack them who would rather work with them rather than against them, then they would not only remove that party from the order of battle of their adversaries, but also induce some form of second-guessing in the minds of some of the pirates which could then be enough to convince them to turn around.</p>
<p>The silence that descended inside the room at that moment told the Countess that they are waiting for her to comment about what the Knight-General had said, and if she was being honest, that surprised her. It would have been less surprising if, in response to what had just happened, the men in the room would have been protesting the actions of General Clancy.</p>
<p>‘<em>Perhaps because they think that it is a good plan if I agree with it,’ </em>she thought, and yet a few moments later, Lady Ava mentally shook her head. At the same time, she focused her gaze back toward the information that was being displayed by the screen on the surface of the table, and she fought back the urge to curse because the information that they are receiving – and thus, the information that is being displayed on the screen – appear to be incomplete.</p>
<p>She blinked at that moment as she reminded herself that her father had once boasted that they have the best long-range scanners that money can buy, which meant that they should have information on the approaching ships aside from a rough estimate. Besides, pirates running low on cash – and they almost always inevitably are – would not have wasted their prizes on sensors that would hide their numbers from scanners, indeed, if historical precedent would be consulted, then she could tell that most pirates would actually prefer to display themselves if only to intimidate their targets.</p>
<p>The less shooting involved means that the less resources would be expended, yet these ‘pirates’ are not doing that.</p>
<p>“Where did you say did they come from?” Lady Ava asked a few moments later.</p>
<p>The silence that greeted her question was not something that the Countess had expected, and a few moments later, she turned her attention back toward the direction of her father, a questioning expression on her face. Even if she was looking at the Duke, however, there was no way that he is going to be the one to answer the question – and indeed, Lady Ava would have been surprised if that was the case.</p>
<p>“We first detected them near the jump-point to the Sirius System,” one of the aides of her father – and she did not even bother to check who it was – said. That information prompted Lady Ava to recall all the information that she could remember about the system mentioned, and there was one piece of information that quickly demanded for the attention of the Countess of Madison.</p>
<p>“That is toward the direction of the Dark Systems,” she said, and in response to the words that she had uttered, she saw the man who had given her the information in the first place nod. This caused Lady Ava to pause as she told herself that the ‘Dark Systems’ refer to the five systems that supposedly surrounded the Sol Star System. The moniker had been given to those five systems because anything and anybody that cross into those systems tends to never be heard of again.</p>
<p>There is no information in regards to what could be found within those systems, but there are rumors – rumors, not historical records, because again, nothing could cross into the Dark Systems – that there are still people left in Terra, even if it has been at least a millennium since they were projected to have died out because of their constant wars.</p>
<p>“Terra,” she said.</p>
<p>That single word produced a myriad of reaction from the people gathered inside the room, but as she had expected, the first person who had actually spoken was quick to point out, “That is impossible, my Lady,” he said, “Even if there are people who are left there, I doubt that they have the technology to reach out to us.”</p>
<p>“More likely than not, humans left behind in Terra have already driven themselves to extinction, my Lady,” another man – this one standing at the other side of her father – said, “When we left, they had locked themselves in a conflict that would only be finished when there is only one man standing.”</p>
<p>The Countess of Madison turned her attention toward the man who had last spoken, and she actually glared at him even as she asked herself if it would be worth it to point out that they are speaking without taking into consideration the evidence in front of them. At the same time that that thought entered the forefront of her mind, however, the Countess paused as she realized that the same thing could be said about her, after all, she was rushing to a conclusion without actually looking at all the pieces of evidence in front of her.</p>
<p>She turned her attention back toward the direction of the display screen, but just as she had expected, no new information was being presented to her. She must have stared at the display screen for half a minute – and she could not help but wonder why the others had not resumed their conference while she was doing that – before she allowed a sigh to escape from her lips.</p>
<p>If the men inside the room were expecting her to concede her point at that moment, however, then they would be sorely disappointed, because that was not what the Countess of Madison did. She turned her attention toward her father before she announced, “There is something that I need to check.”</p>
<p>She did not even wait for her father to say anything before she hurriedly – well, as fast as she could, given the circumstances – made her way out of the room, ignoring the incredulous expression on the faces of some of the retainers of her father – and the exasperated one on the face of her own lady-in-waiting – as she mentally listed the books that she would be reaching for the moment that she reached her own private library.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Royal Apartments, Pence Castle, Madison City</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Serendipity, Stenlar Star System, Kingdom of Crotoa</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Lady Emma Charlotte Watts</strong>
</p>
<p>She would be the first to admit that it was not easy keeping herself as calm as possible, but at the same time that that thought entered the forefront of her mind, she told herself that part of the reason why she could not calm down was because she had no idea what is going on, and she then reminded herself that even when she was younger, she always needed to have the complete picture before she could make a decision as to how she should act given that situation.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, that is not something that she does not have at that moment, and as she turned her attention toward the direction of the woman that she was supposed to be the chief lady-in-waiting of, and as she did so, Lady Emma allowed small sigh to escape from her lips even as she readily admitted – even if it was only to herself – that she was actually quite jealous of the way that Lady Ellie was purporting herself at that moment.</p>
<p>That was because the Marchioness of Havenstark was seated on her usual chair in the circular table that is the centerpiece of the living room of the apartments that had been lent to them for their stay, and she actually appeared to be completely relaxed as she continued to sip tea from the small teacup in front of her. Indeed, Lady Emma was sure that if there was someone who actually does not know the Marchioness all that well in the apartment at that moment, they probably would have commented on how calm and serene she looked at that moment.</p>
<p>Of course, Lady Emma is someone who had known Lady Ellie for a long time – they had been friends for more than half their life – so the Countess of Gray Haven knew that despite the exterior that the Marchioness was showing to the world – even if at that moment, it was only Lady Emma and her other ladies-in-waiting – Lady Emma knew that her friend was actually quite worried, though she would have laid odds that what was worrying the Marchioness at that moment was different from what was making the Countess worry.</p>
<p>That was something that Lady Emma could say with certainty, mostly because if she was being honest, the Countess of Gray Haven would have to admit that she actually has no idea what was worrying her in the first place.</p>
<p>She turned her attention toward the direction of two of the ladies-in-waiting who are in the room with her, but as soon as she turned her attention toward them, the Countess of Gray Haven had to fight the urge to let out a disappointed sigh, mostly because she knew that the others in the living room would have turned their attention toward her if she were to do that, and she did not want that to happen.</p>
<p>More to the point, she did not want Lady Ellie to make a comment about it, and the Countess knew the Marchioness well enough to be sure that Lady Ellie would have commented.</p>
<p>Part of the disappointment that Lady Emma felt at that moment was directed toward the two ladies-in-waiting, and that was because when the Countess turned her attention toward them, she actually caught them looking and whispering things toward each other. Lady Emma understood that they are entitled to gossip – especially given the situation that they are in at that moment – but she would have expected them to gossip in silence and that they would at least try to be as discreet as possible.</p>
<p>These two are not even trying to hide the fact that they are gossiping and a quick glance around the living room on the part of Lady Emma was all that the Countess needed to do in order to be sure that the other three ladies-in-waiting of Lady Ellie are also trying their best not to turn their attention toward the direction of their two most junior members.</p>
<p>‘<em>I would have to talk to them in the future,’</em> Lady Emma thought with a mental sigh, after all, she is the chief lady-in-waiting, and the smooth running of the small retinue that Lady Ellie had brought with her – as well as the education of these ladies – is supposed to be her responsibility.</p>
<p>A subtle movement on the part of Lady Ellie forced the Countess to turn her attention toward the direction of her old friend, and barely a moment after she had fixed her gaze upon Lady Ellie, the Countess saw that the Marchioness had turned her attention. This time, instead of focusing her gaze upon the small teacup in front of her, Lady Ellie was staring straight at Lady Emma with a small smile on her face.</p>
<p>That smile that the Marchioness was wearing would be the only thing that Lady Emma needed to see in order to understand that her old friend actually understood what was going on in the mind of the Countess at that moment, and when she watched Lady Ellie slowly but deliberately shake her head a few moments later, Lady Emma fought the urge to sigh even as she gave a subtle nod and a silent acquiescence to the request of the young woman who is supposed to be her superior.</p>
<p>The request of Lady Ellie was to let it go and to allow the other ladies-in-waiting to continue gossiping among themselves.</p>
<p>It would appear, however, that the two gossiping ladies-in-waiting had realized that they are not supposed to be doing what they were doing, because by the time that Lady Emma had returned her attention toward them, they had not only stopped what they were doing, but they also had the good graces to allow their faces to turn red, which was the only thing that the Countess needed to see in order to confirm that the two of them were rather embarrassed.</p>
<p>‘<em>Of course, it is far more than that,’</em> she thought with no small amount of irritation, but just as her friend had asked, Lady Emma decided to let it go.</p>
<p>There was a part of Lady Emma that understood that gossip at this moment was to be expected, after all, they actually have no idea what is going on, aside from the fact that the highest ranking knight who had been guarding Lady Ellie when the alarm flared up had requested – though really, given the circumstances, it was more of an order – that they remain inside the apartments.</p>
<p>Indeed, a few moments after she had silently indicated to her chief lady-in-waiting that she should let the irritation that she was feeling slip away, the Marchioness of Havenstark opened the floor for further gossip as she suddenly said, “There is a strange taste to this tea when it is drunk while thinking about the prospect of a hundred unknown ships approaching us turning hostile.”</p>
<p>Those words that have escaped from the lips of the Marchioness of Havenstark caused all pairs of eyes in the room – except for those of the Marchioness, of course – to turn toward her direction, and Lady Emma was not exempt from that, though in the case of the Countess, the reason why her eyes widened was because she could not believe that the Marchioness had just said those words.</p>
<p>Of course, it was not as if she could rebuke her old friend, so in the end, she had to content herself with just commenting with the words that have escaped from the lips of the Marchioness, “I am sure that it is not a hundred ships,” she said with absolute certainty, “Someone must have made a big mistake in the tracking office.”</p>
<p>Even as those words escaped from the lips of the Countess, however, she would readily admit that a part of her did not actually believe the words that she had just uttered, and as that thought entered the forefront of her mind, Lady Emma reminded herself that she had always felt that there was something wrong with the situation that they are in at that moment.</p>
<p>“Perhaps,” Lady Ellie conceded a few moments later, and Lady Emma watched as she lifted her cup of tea again so that she could sip from the same. It was at that moment that the Countess realized that her old friend was also worried, and that she was simply putting up a front for the other ladies who are with them as she realized that if the Marchioness were to panic, then the others are liable to panic as well.</p>
<p>Lady Emma parted her lips to say something, though because she was not sure what it was that she wanted to say, she hesitated. The Marchioness of Havenstark was certainly not looking to take advantage of the fact that her friend had hesitated – indeed, Lady Ellie was not even looking at her – but even if that was the case, the silence that had descended inside the living room was still something that Lady Ellie interrupted a few moments later, though this time, her words were directed toward the other ladies-in-waiting.</p>
<p>“What about you, ladies?” Lady Ellie asked, “What have you learned about this situation that we are now in?”</p>
<p>The words that escaped from the lips of Lady Ellie would not be words that the Countess of Gray Haven would have labeled as subtle, and indeed, the other ladies in the room understood that the words that their superior had uttered was permission for them to gossip. Less than five seconds after the Marchioness had uttered those words, Lady Emma could see the other ladies-in-waiting turning their attention toward each other so that they could resume their gossip and she had to fight the urge to groan.</p>
<p>When she turned her attention back toward Lady Ellie, she saw the smile that was on the face of her old friend, and Lady Emma realized that that was exactly what the Marchioness was aiming for.</p>
<p>“You should take a seat,” she heard Lady Ellie say at the same time that the Marchioness inclined her head toward the direction of the empty seat in front of the one where she was seated, and before she understood what she was doing, Lady Emma had already nodded and was heading toward the direction of the chair indicated.</p>
<p>She had barely taken two steps toward that direction, however, before she was interrupted by the sound of someone knocking on the door, and she was quite certain – even if she had not made sure visually – that she was not the only one who had turned her attention  toward the direction of where the knocking sound came from.</p>
<p>“Enter,” Lady Ellie said in response to the knocking sound, and a few moments later, the door did move.</p>
<p>Even though a voice at the back of her mind told Lady Emma that she should smile at the man who had entered the room, she did not. She was well aware that he might have thought that that was strange, but then again, as he entered the room, Sir Leo merely glanced at her before he focused his attention upon Lady Ellie.</p>
<p>It was not something that the Countess found herself critical – or jealous – of, after all, it was rather obvious that, at that moment, Sir Leo had entered the room not as her newly-minted fiancé, but as one of the knights tasked to protect Lady Ellie.</p>
<p>“Your Grace,” he said before bowing toward the direction of the Marchioness. After he had recovered from the bow, however, he turned his attention toward the direction of his fiancée, and Lady Emma could not help but place a smile on her own face in response to the smile that he had given her at that moment. Of course, the professional in Sir Leo quickly took over and he returned his attention toward the direction of Lady Ellie as he reported, “We are still grasping at straws regarding the identity of the ships that the long-range scanners have detected, but we are fairly certain that they are pirates, though we do not know what their purpose or objectives are in coming to this system.”</p>
<p>None of the ladies-in-waiting had said anything because it was obvious that the person who should have replied was Lady Ellie. The Marchioness, however, did not say anything, merely inclining her head toward the direction of Sir Leo and silently directing him to continue with his report.</p>
<p>He seemed to have realized that, however, because a few moments later, he continued, “The Knight-General had asked me to inform you that he does not believe that there is anything that should concern us regarding these pirates as he is sure that the local defense forces are more than capable to handle them, though in the interest of protocol, he had asked me to request that you and your ladies-in-waiting remain inside the apartments until we are sure that we have dealt with this threat.”</p>
<p>Lady Ellie did not say anything, but from the way that she once more inclined her head toward the direction of Sir Leo, it was obvious that she was not going to posit any objection. That, however, did not mean that the knight was allowed to leave right away, because just as he was about to do just that, he was forced to pause as another lady-in-waiting – and without permission – suddenly opened her mouth.</p>
<p>“Do you know who they are?” the lady asked, and this prompted Lady Emma to turn her attention toward the direction of the offending lady who actually had the good graces to blush as red as a ripe tomato as she most likely realized the faux-pas that she had just committed.</p>
<p>There was actually no incentive on the part of Sir Leo to answer that question, after all, it was asked by someone that he does not answer to. Still, he was forced to answer it a few moments later, because Lady Ellie inclined her head again, and that was a silent command to the knight, telling him that he should answer the question.</p>
<p>“We do not know, my Lady,” Sir Leo replied. He seemed to hesitate but it was probably only those who knew him well enough – and in this setting, that would only be Lady Emma and Lady Ellie – who actually realized that he hesitated, before he continued, “but as I had said, we do not believe that they would be able to come anywhere close to the planet and, in any case, the Vice-Commander is heading up there with his company to serve as reinforcements to the local forces should they be needed.”</p>
<p>There was another brief moment of silence as the ladies-in-waiting turned their attention toward each other. Even Lady Emma had turned her gaze, though for the Countess, she turned her gaze not toward her colleagues but toward Lady Ellie, and a silent conversation passed between the two of them before the Marchioness returned her attention toward the direction of Sir Leo, “Thank you, Sir Leo, that would be all,” she said.</p>
<p>Usually, that would have meant that he was now excused, and indeed, a few moments after Lady Ellie had said that, the knight began to bow toward the direction of the Marchioness, but before he could complete that, Lady Ellie suddenly added, “Please accept my apologies for now, Sir Leo, as I plan to give you my formal congratulations once we have put this behind us.”</p>
<p>Lady Emma smiled when she saw the grin on the face of her fiancé, but even the Countess would admit that there was something wrong with the smile that she was wearing at that moment. If Sir Leo had noticed it when he turned his attention toward her a few moments later, however, Lady Emma could not tell, and before she even realized that, he had already placed the expression of a professional on his face before he inclined his head slightly toward Lady Emma.</p>
<p>That was the last thing that he did before he spun on his heel and left the room, leaving Lady Emma staring at the direction through which her fiancé had disappeared. She must have been looking at that direction for a considerable amount of time, because a few moments later, she actually jumped as she heard Lady Ellie address her, “What’s wrong?” the Marchioness asked.</p>
<p>Lady Emma turned her attention toward the direction of her old friend, and when she did so, she could see the expression of concern on the face of the Marchioness. Whatever excuse it was that she had thought of at that moment to tell her old friend that nothing is wrong fled from the forefront of the mind of Lady Emma and before she could stop herself, she said, “I don’t know,” before she paused once more.</p>
<p>That pause, however, did not last long enough for anyone to be able to interrupt her, and a few moments later, the Countess said, “There is something wrong here, Ellie,” – and by using the nickname of the Marchioness rather than any honorific, Lady Emma knew that she could instill into her old friend just how serious she was at that moment – “but I cannot tell what it is.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Aboard <em>HMS Iron Duke</em>, Fleet Flagship, Imperial Terra Grand Fleet</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Outer Edge of the Stenlar Star System, Kingdom of Crotoa</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Vice Admiral Kevin Francis Cline</strong>
</p>
<p>He would have really loved to have been a fly in the bridge of the enemy flagship at that moment, if only so that he could hear the curses that he was sure would be escaping from the lips of the commander of the local defense fleet when he realized that the warp signatures that his people had been tracking had now come out of the warp bubble practically in the orbit around their moon.</p>
<p>A few moments later, Vice Admiral Kevin Francis Cline shook his head as he told himself that that kind of life – that of a fly in the bridge of the flagship of the commander of the local defense forces – would have become boring right away, after all, one person could only know so much curses, and he was sure that such commander would have run out of such right away, especially when he realized that the one hundred different warp signatures that their sensors had seen was actually a lie, after all, that number is just a small fraction of the real numbers of the Imperial Terran Grand Fleet.</p>
<p>‘<em>They probably would have had a hard time believing that we have one hundred ships in the first place,’</em> Vice Admiral Cline thought at the same time that he turned his attention toward the direction of the screen in front of him.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, the distance that separates the flagship from the frontline of the enemy fleet was considerable enough that his naked eye could not actually see the formation that the ships of the local defense force was taking, or it could be that because of the surprise that they felt when the ships of the Grand Fleet – the locals would not have know that term, however – had practically materialized on top of them meant that they are so confused about what is happening that their command structure would have been paralyzed at that moment.</p>
<p>‘<em>That would have been a shame,’</em> he could not help but think even as he told himself that while the locals have no chance of actually standing up against them, it still left him with a bad aftertaste in his mouth as he was not one to engage in battles that could be considered as one-sided, and as he glanced toward the direction of his commanding officer, Vice Admiral Cline reminded himself that the General-Admiral felt the exact same thing, which would probably explain the reason why, when Vice Admiral Cline turned his attention toward his commanding officer, he could see him in conversation with their marine commander.</p>
<p>The expression on the face of the marine commander was all that Vice Admiral Cline needed to see in order to know that the man was trying his best to dissuade the General-Admiral from something, just as the face of the man told the Chief-of-Staff that he was not having an easy time doing that and was actually failing. Of course, Vice Admiral Cline did not have to listen in on the conversation in order to know that the marine commander was actually trying to dissuade the General-Admiral from joining the marines during the orbital invasion.</p>
<p>As if to provide further proof that that was the conversation that his commanding officer was having with the marine commander, at that moment, one of the junior enlisted officers approached the General-Admiral, and Vice Admiral Cline could see that the sailor was holding a long but narrow briefcase which he handed to Lord Alexander a few moments later.</p>
<p>Again, Vice Admiral Cline did not need to ask in order to know what was inside that briefcase, after all, it was rather obvious that it was the personal sword of the General-Admiral.</p>
<p>He kept his attention focused upon the direction of the two officers just until he heard footsteps behind him, and that compelled Vice Admiral Cline to turn his attention toward that direction. When he turned his gaze toward that direction, however, the first thing that he saw was the visage of Rear Admiral Ashford, and from the expression on his face, it was obvious that the Chief Military Advisor is not happy.</p>
<p>“We have always known that this is not going to be a fair fight, but this is a big disappointment,” the Chief Military Advisor said before he then turned his attention toward the direction of their General-Admiral. He added a few moments later, “I can see why he would be insistent on joining the orbital invasion.”</p>
<p>Vice Admiral Cline did not say anything for a few moments, but before Rear Admiral Ashford could continue with whatever it was that he wanted to say, Vice Admiral Cline cut him off, “Yes,” he said.</p>
<p>The two of them did not say anything as they turned their attention toward the direction of table behind them. As neither of them could actually see anything using the screens that were displaying the images being taken by the cameras in front of the ship, it would have been advisable to just turn their attention toward the tactical plot – because at that moment, the table was now configured to act as one – and sure enough, Vice Admiral Cline was easily able to confirm from the data on the plot alone that whatever confusion it was that the adversary had felt when the ships of the Grand Fleet had arrived in their current position, it was already gone.</p>
<p>He could tell that that was the case because the local defense forces have now resumed organizing themselves.</p>
<p>At the same time, however, he could not help but feel a sense of disappointment, because unless the local defense forces are hiding a few more ships inside those berths where their long-range scanners cannot see – and that was impossible because the scanners that they are using are the best and could actually see through the berths that are orbiting the planet – then it was obvious that they do not have enough ships to match even just the battlecruiser contingent of the Grand Fleet.</p>
<p>Vice Admiral Cline mentally shook his head as he told himself that that was to be expected, after all, they have had a reasonably clear intelligence picture of the order of battle in this system even before they had left Terra for this campaign.</p>
<p>“Do you think that he had already run out of curse words by now?”  a voice to his side caused Vice Admiral Cline to turn his attention toward that direction – and using his peripheral vision, he could see that he was not the only one who had turned his attention toward  that direction, because Rear Admiral Ashford also did so.</p>
<p>He also did not need to ask his commanding officer what he was talking about, and sure enough, he had not even missed a beat before Vice Admiral Cline nodded, “No doubt,” he replied before he turned his attention back toward the tactical plot which was now displaying information that reflected the fact that their enemies are moving into a formation that would see their five capital ships in the system into a line formation.</p>
<p>“I guess I should ask them to surrender first,” the General-Admiral suddenly said, and that actually caused the eyes of Vice Admiral Cline to widen even as he turned his attention toward the direction of his commanding officer. He parted his lips to say something, but before he could push the words out of his mouth, Lord Alexander cut him off, “Let us see if the ones in command of this defense fleet has more sense than brawn.”</p>
<p>If he was being honest, Vice Admiral Cline would readily admit that he would have preferred it if Lord Alexander would not have made the attempt, but at the same time, he told himself that he would not have been able to stop his commander anyway.</p>
<p>A sigh escaped from the lips of the Chief-of-Staff, General-Admiral, Imperial Terra Grand Fleet even as he focused his attention upon the direction of the General-Admiral. By the time that Vice Admiral Cline had turned his attention toward him, Lord Alexander was already heading toward the direction of the nearest communications console operator, and he had no doubt that the General-Admiral would soon be asking the operator – a warrant officer – to make it so that he could broadcast into every frequency that was being used not only by the ships in the local defense fleet, but also on the planet itself.</p>
<p>He turned his attention toward the direction of Rear Admiral Ashford a few moments later, and sure enough, he was able to confirm that the Chief Military Advisor was also looking toward the direction of their superior.</p>
<p>Once more, Vice Admiral Cline fought the urge to sigh even as he reminded himself that of all the members of the Imperial House of York, the General-Admiral, Imperial Terra Grand Fleet is the one that would be labeled as the most liberal, though that is a relative term because while he is not as much of a traditionalists as his cousins – or even his father – are, there is still a  part of him that is highly traditional, and that part was on full swing at that moment as he began to broadcast a politely worded request – because to call it demand would probably be inappropriate – to their enemies in the system to surrender.</p>
<p>At the same time, however, Vice Admiral Cline knew that the General-Admiral would actually be disappointed if their enemies were to actually surrender, as it was obvious that he wanted to fight.</p>
<p>Five minutes after he had started to broadcast his politely worded demand, Lord Alexander walked back toward the direction of where he had left Vice Admiral Cline and Rear Admiral Ashford, and the smile that was on the face of the General-Admiral is the only thing that the Chief-of-Staff needed to see in order to guess what the next word that would come out of the mouth of their commander would be.</p>
<p>He was not the slightest bit disappointed, of course, because it turned out that he was correct, and a few moments later, the General-Admiral, Imperial Terra Grand Fleet, in his commanding voice, said, “Close in with the enemy and engage.”</p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Lady Ellie finds herself hosting the Countess of Madison who has an important favor to ask of her. <br/>The commander of the local defense fleet finds himself with a dilemma.<br/>Sir Ian cannot believe what is happening.<br/>Duke Ryan had to apologize for everything that is happening.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>THREE</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <span class="u">Knight Culture of the Kingdom of Crotoa</span>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>It is not a secret that a full seventy percent of all young boys born in the Kingdom of Crotoa would write ‘knight’ when they are asked what they want to become when they become older, but from that seventy percent, only a small fraction – less than ten percent – would usually go ahead to become a Knight of the Kingdom of Crotoa.</p>
<p>Part of the reason for this number lies in the fact that knight-training is one of the most difficult things that one could enter, and because it begins at the age of seven, only the most dedicated and the most devoted could actually imagine themselves finishing it – usually the age of twenty – so that they could kneel before a lord and be knighted before joining one of the four Knight-Orders of the Kingdom of Crotoa.</p>
<p>Contrary to the popular misconception that only sons of nobles and knights are allowed to enter training, more than half of all knight-entrants who begin knight-training every year actually come from commoner families, though it is also true that almost ninety percent of them would drop out during the course of their training. Perhaps the reason why those who came from nobility and knight families could handle the training better is because they had been trained since they were young, though the success rate of knight-entrants who came from those family is still far from one hundred percent – latest estimates have placed that number at only forty percent.</p>
<p>As to the reason why a young boy would want to become a knight, it is generally accepted that such ambitions are stemmed from reading – or hearing – stories of knights from those older than them. It is not exactly a secret that more than half of the common fairy tales in the Kingdom of Crotoa involved a knight in one form or another, and almost always, the knight is either the hero of the story, or someone who supports the hero of the story.</p>
<p>There is also the fact that a knight-officer who had completed his training is not only set for life – it is rare to see a retired knight, and almost always, the cause for retirement would have something to do with injuries sustained during battle or training, or because of age – and there is the possibility of marrying into one of the noble families. The truly ambitious, indeed, could even become part of the Royal Family – and in the course of the past seven hundred years, there had been thirty such marriages.</p>
<p>This goes to show that, contrary to another popular misconception, knights can and do marry without forfeiting their titles.</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <span class="u">Training</span>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>The training of a knight-entrant begins at the age of seven, and it would always involve the young child being sent to one of around one hundred twenty or so Dukedoms located all over the Kingdom of Crotoa. By express provision of law, only such households are allowed to train knights, and even then, such license is renewed every four years or so.</p>
<p>Typically, each Dukedom would accept a batch of around fifty young boys and they would be organized into squads of ten boys each. They would be taught with the help of the older students, though most of their training would usually be left in the hands of a dedicated corps of teachers and instructors who would educate them not only in terms of weapons, warfare tactics and strategy, and other military skills, but also in court etiquette, chivalry, and other things that a young man would require in his future life. Typically, the objective of these lessons would be that even if a young boy would not be able to finish his training, he would at least be able to function in the real world.</p>
<p>When faced with the question of why knights still have to train with seemingly antiquated weapons like swords and other bladed melee weapons when combat in this present age is usually done with mass-drivers and rail-cannons that could flung projectiles at nearly the speed of light many kilometers away, the answer would, inevitably, return to the manufactured gas known as Boreas. This highly explosive-gas reacts poorly with heat and the use of explosive weapons – such as firearms – are generally prohibited when the gas has been spread in the area.</p>
<p>At the age of eleven – and by this time, a class of fifty would usually be down to just ten or so – each knight-entrant would be assigned to a senior knight who would become his mentor. The process by which a knight chooses his student depends upon the knight in question, though it is not unheard of for such mentors to just draw lots as every mentor would usually want the best student under his wing.</p>
<p>This process is known as ‘squiring’ because from this point on, the knight-entrants are known as knight-squires or, simply, squires.</p>
<p>The promotion is actually a highly formal ceremony, with families of the knight-squires being invited to witness their sons swearing their knight-oaths before a sword – and this would almost always be the first sword of their mentors – before their new mentors would then give them their own first sword.</p>
<p>While such squires would not actually be able to use such swords until they turn eighteen – the legal age for males in the Kingdom of Crotoa – these swords would usually be the same swords that future squires would swear to when it becomes the turn of the newly consecrated squire to take own his own squires, though by that time, he is already a knight. These swords would also usually be buried with the knight.</p>
<p>For the next eight or nine years, the knight-entrant would be supervised by his mentor who would make the decision as to whether or not he could become a knight. The process by which a mentor makes the decision is also widely varied, and indeed, there is not a set of criteria of when a knight-entrant could actually be knighted.</p>
<p>In times of war, some knight-entrants as young as fifteen had been knighted – Sir Thomas the Red and Sir Kevin the Bold among them – while in times of peace, some knight-entrants actually never make it pass this ‘squire stage, and they are doomed to remain as such for the rest of their lives.</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <span class="u">The Knight-Orders</span>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>After a knight-squire had been knighted, he is now eligible to be called ‘Sir’ and he is, technically, an equal of all other knights in the Kingdom of Crotoa, subject only to the rules and regulations of the Knight-Order that he would be invited to join.</p>
<p>In the Kingdom of Crotoa, there are four such orders with each order being subtly different from each other at the same time that they are subtly the same. As each Knight-Order maintains a different set of code, rules, and regulations – and because this work is not intended to introduce the reader to these Orders – it is recommended that a person who wishes to know more about these Orders should inquire directly with these Orders.</p>
<p>As for the criteria of these Knight-Orders as to who to invite to join, this is usually determined by the Knight-Order that their mentors were a part of, though it must be stressed that this is not always the case as it is possible for a knight whose mentor had come from one Order to join another. As all knights are technically equal to one another, it is speculated that this does not really cause any sort of problem or rivalry between the Knight-Orders.</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <span class="u">Duties</span>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>Whichever Knight-Order a knight joins, he would be expected to carry on a number of duties. As a Knight of the Kingdom of Crotoa and as a member of the Knight-Order that he is a part of, it is expected that he would purport himself in the best manner to reflect the vows that he had made when he became a squire and when he became a knight. This is the most important duty of a knight, and some are known to have committed ritual suicide whenever they are informed – or they believed – that they had failed such a duty.</p>
<p>Whatever else may be the case, the position of Knight is actually a martial one, and all of the Knight-Orders would typically rotate to one front or another in order to take part in any military campaign being waged by the Kingdom during times of war, and in protecting civilian installations from pirates and other civil insurrectionists – if they exist – during times of peace. The Knight-Orders are also expected to provide security to members of the Royal Family, especially when such members are not in the Royal Palace.</p>
<p>As for the security of the Royal Palace, this is the one of the few places where all four of the Knight-Orders – one for each cardinal direction of the compass – maintain a constant vigil, even when the King is absent from the Royal Palace, such as when he is visiting another castle or province. Even if that is the case, however, the Knight-Orders also maintain a constant guard on the person of the King of Crotoa, and it is one assignment that all four Knight-Orders perform together.</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <span class="u">Knight-Ranks</span>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>As was mentioned before, knights are supposed to be equal to each other in rank, though because of the need to maintain a hierarchy of some sort, Knight-Orders have assigned ranks to their knights.</p>
<p>Usually, the head of the Knight-Order would be given the rank of Grand Marshall of the Order. The position is not an easy task to achieve, not only because those who are eligible for the positon are always going to be the best members of the Knight-Order, but also because of the fact that a Grand Marshall of the Order, by achieving such position, waives his right to retire. A Grand Marshall of the Order can only let go of the position with his death, hence, the reason why there are time when such position had become mostly ceremonial.</p>
<p>Under the rank of Grand Marshall would be Marshall of the Order, and while there is no set number of knights who could hold this rank, there are usually five. These five are also the ones who are automatically considered for the position of Grand Marshall of the Order upon the death of their superior, though because of the commitment that a Grand Marshall would have, they are also granted the right to refuse their automatic nomination.</p>
<p>As for their duties, this would usually involve assisting the Grand Marshall for as long as said Grand Marshall is able, and when he is no longer able, it is these Marshalls who become the actual leaders of their Order.</p>
<p>In any deployment of a sizeable contingent of Knights – usually more than a hundred – a Knight-General is usually appointed. The Knight-General is the most senior – that is, the longest tenured knight – in the group and would be the de-facto leader of that contingent that has been deployed. He would then be assisted by a vice-commander, though the knight-general is usually free to organize his unit in any way that he sees fit.</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Royal Apartments, Pence Castle, Madison City</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Serendipity, Stenlar Star System, Kingdom of Crotoa</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Lady Eleanor Elizabeth ‘Ellie’ Barnes</strong>
</p>
<p>The knocking sound coming from the direction of the door made her turn her gaze toward that direction at the same time that a confused and questioning expression appeared on her visage. From the way that the person at the other side of the door was knocking, it was obvious that the person at the other side was impatient, though if she was being honest, the young woman who was seated near the table could understand why he would be feeling that way. They are, after all, in the middle of an emergency.</p>
<p>Instead of actually standing from where she was seated, however, Lady Ellie instead turned her attention toward the direction of the other woman who was seated on the table with her, and she could see the expression on the face of her chief lady-in-waiting. It was sometimes difficult to understand and decipher what the Countess of Gray Haven felt just from the expressions that she was wearing on her face alone, but that was not actually the case when Lady Ellie turned her attention toward the Countess as it was rather obvious that the expression that she was wearing at that moment was one of irritation.</p>
<p>She did not even need to ask Lady Emma why she was wearing that irritated expression, and a smile came across the face of Lady Ellie when she saw the expression that her oldest and dearest friend was wearing. She knew that the reason why the Countess was wearing that expression was because the man at the other side of the door was, technically, in violation of the requests of Lady Ellie, considering that the Marchioness of Havenstark – in deference to the fact that they are in an emergency situation – had said that there would be no need for any of the knights to knock if they wish to be admitted into the attached living room of the apartments that she had been given.</p>
<p>The irritated expression that Lady Emma was wearing at that moment was then further exacerbated by the fact that they both know who the person at the other side of the door would be, because they – Lady Ellie and Lady Emma – knew that it was actually her fiancé who was knocking on the door considering that he is the highest ranking knight out there, or at least, he was the highest-ranking one the last time that they checked because he was the one who had showed himself to the Marchioness and her retinue.</p>
<p>Lady Ellie kept her gaze focused on her friend long enough that she was actually able to watch as the Countess turned her attention toward her direction, and the smile that she was wearing widened a bit more a few moments later when she saw the surprise that was evident on the pretty face of Lady Emma as it was obvious that the Countess was not expecting the Marchioness to be staring at her.</p>
<p>Proving that she was quite adept, however, the Countess of Gray Haven was easily able to school her features, and within a moment or two of her having turned her attention toward Lady Ellie, the Countess was actually able to change the expression on her face in order to reflect an apologetic expression. This, however, caused a smile to appear on the face of the Marchioness of Havenstark, and in response to that, Lady Emma parted her lips.</p>
<p>It was rather obvious that she was about to say something but before she could actually push any words out of her mouth, Lady Ellie cut her off by politely inclining her head toward her direction. The Marchioness then turned her attention toward the direction of one of the other ladies-in-waiting inside the room – and unlike herself and Lady Emma, they are actually standing – before she gave a nod, and again, the Marchioness did not have to say anything before her lady-in-waiting understood what she meant with her action.</p>
<p>Using her peripheral vision, Lady Ellie watched as her chief lady-in-waiting focused her attention upon the only ingress point into the room even as one of the ladies-in-waiting opened the same, and as they had expected, when the door was opened, the man at the other side of the door is indeed the fiancé of Lady Emma, though there was an apologetic expression on the face of Sir Leo – most likely because he understood that his fiancée was not going to be pleased with his recent actions – as he parted his lips.</p>
<p>Whatever it was that Sir Leo was going to say, however, was something that only he would be able to know, because just as he parted his lips, a figure that had, until that moment been hidden behind the knight, made herself known by moving to the side of the knight in such a way that it was obvious that she wanted Lady Ellie and the others who are in the room to turn their attention toward her.</p>
<p>She was rather successful in that regard because using her peripheral vision, Lady Ellie could see that she was hardly the only one who had turned her attention toward the young woman who had stepped out of the shadow – quite literally – of Sir Leo as Lady Emma is one of those who had turned her attention toward the other young woman. Lady Ellie is also sure that her chief lady-in-waiting instantly recognized the young woman who had stepped out of the shadow of her fiancée, after all, she is the reason why there are in this planet in the first place.</p>
<p>A smile came across the face of Lady Ellie as he regarded the young woman. Despite the situation that they had found themselves in, it would appear that the Countess of Madison was determined to keep up with her lessons – because that was the first impression that the Marchioness had when she saw the eldest daughter of Duke Ryan – as it was, now that she had time to think about it, time for their lessons.</p>
<p>“My Lady,” Sir Leo suddenly said, and with those two words, he had made everyone – even Lady Ava – turn their attention toward him. Even if that was the case, however, he seemed to be unperturbed by the fact that a dozen pairs of eyes were focused on him as he added, “She is quite insistent.”</p>
<p>From the expression on the face of the knight – and taking into consideration the words that he had just used – it was quite obvious that he had tried his best to reason with the eldest daughter of Duke Ryan, and judging from the fact that Lady Ava is here right now, he had failed in that regard.</p>
<p>Lady Ellie inclined her head toward the direction of Sir Leo, but she actually did not say anything even if a few moments later she smiled at the knight as she once more inclined her head, though this time, she did so toward the direction of her chief lady-in-waiting. The Marchioness would have smiled at that moment when she saw the expression on the face of Sir Leo – after all, it reflected the fact that she knew that his fiancé was not pleased with him at that moment – but because Lady Ellie focused her attention toward the Countess of Madison instead, she actually did not get the chance to watch Sir Leo as he had his silent conversation with his fiancé.</p>
<p>“Lady Ava,” Lady Ellie said a few moments later, and as she had expected, the young woman that she had addressed had turned her attention toward her direction. Lady Ellie actually saw the younger woman blink and because of that, the Countess did not actually get the chance to say anything before the Marchioness added, “Would you take a seat with us?” as she motioned toward an empty seat on the table where she and Lady Emma are seated.</p>
<p>The Marchioness could see the hesitation on the face of Lady Ava, but a few moments later, the Countess of Madison visibly inhaled – as if she was consolidating her strength, and Lady Ellie could not help but ask herself if that was exactly what the Countess was doing – before she took a step forward, obviously to comply with the request of the Marchioness.</p>
<p>As Lady Ava was walking toward them, Lady Ellie could not help but wonder if the younger woman actually considered her request to have been an order, though before the Marchioness could come up with an answer to her own unasked question, she mentally shook her head because, in the end, it does not really matter. In any case, by the time that she mentally shook her head, the Countess of Madison had already taken her seat.</p>
<p>It would appear that Lady Emma and Sir Leo have finished their silent conversation – though it was most likely because the two of them had decided that they would have their conversation later after the situation that they are in had been resolved – because by the time that Lady Ava had taken her seat on the table, the Countess of Gray Haven had already turned her attention toward the direction of the other seat.</p>
<p>Lady Ava allowed herself the luxury of turning her attention toward the direction of the door, though by the time that she had turned her gaze toward that spot, she was only able to catch Sir Leo as he bowed before her. She supposed that that was to be expected, after all, it would appear that Lady Emma and her fiancé had already finished their silent conversation.</p>
<p>The Marchioness acknowledged the bow that Sir Leo had offered, and she did not even watch as the same lady-in-waiting of hers who had opened the door closed the same because she quickly turned her attention toward the direction of Lady Emma and Lady Ava.</p>
<p>By the time that she had turned her attention toward that direction, Lady Emma was already pouring tea for the Countess of Madison, though it would appear that the Countess of Gray Haven had not actually said anything to Lady Ava. That simply meant that the Marchioness would have to be the one to open the conversation.</p>
<p>Of course, that was not a matter of concern for the Marchioness.</p>
<p>“My Lady,” Lady Ellie suddenly said, and as she had expected, the Countess of Madison turned his attention toward the direction of the Marchioness. She was hardly the only one who had turned her attention, however, because using her peripheral vision, Lady Ellie could see that her chief lady-in-waiting had also turned her attention toward the Marchioness.</p>
<p>Neither Lady Emma nor Lady Ava said anything, however, and the Marchioness had to fight the urge to sigh as she told herself that she was kind of hoping that the two of them would have started to speak at that moment. In the end, the irritation that she felt was something that she was easily able to set aside as she focused her attention upon the direction of the Countess of Madison.</p>
<p>The Marchioness was able to place a smile on her face as she regarded the younger woman – and as she did so, Lady Ellie reminded herself that the Countess is actually only two years younger than her – and she waited until she was sure that the Countess of Madison was looking at her. As she was staring at the direction of the Countess, Lady Ellie was actually able to note that Lady Ava parted her lips, which was an obvious sign that she wanted to say something, though before she could do so, Lady Ellie cut her off.</p>
<p>“I am afraid that, given our situation right now, this may not perhaps be the right time for us to continue with our lessons,” she said with a smile.</p>
<p>The neutral expression that was on the face of Lady Ava as she politely inclined her head toward the direction of Lady Ellie at that moment told the Marchioness that the Countess was expecting that those would be the words that Lady Ellie would say, but that only caused confusion on the part of the Marchioness, because if Lady Ava knew that they would not be able to continue their lessons anyway, then she would not have insisted on being in this room.</p>
<p>There was a part of Lady Ellie that thought that she had actually found a reason as to why the Countess of Madison would have preferred to be here rather than with her father at this moment, but then the Countess realized that the Duke of Winnipeg is most likely in conference with his advisors, and the Countess did not want to be in their presence. In the nearly two years that she had known Lady Ava, the Marchioness of Havenstark would readily admit that she is not one who willingly suffer fools, and that is perhaps, a consequence of her frighteningly sharp mind.</p>
<p>“That is not the reason why I am here, my Lady,” the voice of Lady Ava tore the Marchioness out of the reverie that she had not even realized she had fallen into. Before she could stop herself, Lady Ellie blinked, and though she tried to turn her attention toward the direction of Lady Ava, it would appear that she was not fast enough, because the youngest of the three ladies who are seated at the table – and the eldest was actually saying nothing at that moment, which was actually something that amused Lady Ellie, though she would not actually say that out loud, at least, not right now – was actually able to continue, “it is something that, I think would be far more important.”</p>
<p>This caused the Marchioness of Havenstark to turn her attention toward the direction of her oldest and dearest friend, though by the time that Lady Ellie had turned her attention toward the direction of Lady Emma, the Countess of Gray Haven was also looking at her, and there was a confused expression on the face of Lady Emma. The Marchioness imagined that she had a confused expression on her own face at that moment too, but she was easily able to school her features before she returned her attention toward the direction of Lady Ava.</p>
<p>“Very well,” the Marchioness said at the same time that she inclined her head toward the direction of the Countess. Even before she had recovered from that, the Marchioness was already gently lifting her cup of tea before she brought the same closer toward her lips. She did not, however, take a sip from the same right away, and instead, she focused her attention toward the direction of Lady Ava before she asked, “What is it that you wish to speak with me about?”</p>
<p>There was not even a look of hesitation on the face of Lady Ava at that moment, and in the split second since she saw the expression that the youngest woman seated on the table – and quite possibly, the youngest woman in the room at that moment – and the time that said Countess spoke, Lady Ellie could not help but feel as if there was something wrong with the fact that there was not an expression of hesitation on the face of Lady Ava. Of course, before Lady Ellie could properly think about it, she was cut off from doing so as the Countess of Madison spoke.</p>
<p>“Your Grace, I think that you should prepare to leave the castle and, probably, the planet and the System as well,” Lady Ava said, and as with before, the Countess said that with no hesitation.</p>
<p>The silence that descended inside the room after the word that the Countess of Madison had uttered was deafening, and Lady Ellie is sure that if she were to turn her attention toward the direction of her other ladies-in-waiting at that moment, she would see them wearing shocked expressions on their faces. She would not have blamed them either, because at that moment the Countess of Madison had just asked the Marchioness of Havenstark – her teacher and mentor and, more importantly, the eldest niece of the King – to leave the castle.</p>
<p>It would have been an insult, but Lady Ellie knew better than to consider it as such, because she was certain that there was no way that Lady Ava intended it as such.</p>
<p>There is some hidden message in what Lady Ava had said, and as she turned her attention toward her chief lady-in-waiting – part of the reason why Lady Ellie did not turn her attention toward her other ladies-in-waiting was because she focused her attention upon Lady Emma – she could see that the determined expression that Lady Ava was wearing had not dampened one bit. That was all that the Marchioness needed to see in order to know that she was not only serious, she had also meant the words that she had just said.</p>
<p>“And this has something to do with the pirates that are approaching the planet as we speak?” Lady Emma was the one who broke the silence, but even if the Countess of Gray Haven had not said anything, someone else would have. Indeed, Lady Ellie could not help but be thankful that it was her chief lady-in-waiting who had spoken as she felt that if it had been someone else, then the wrong words could have been spoken instead.</p>
<p>Again, there was no hesitation in the way that Lady Ava answered the question of the Countess of Gray Haven, “Yes,” she replied. There was a brief pause and Lady Ellie found herself wondering if Lady Ava had intended for that silence to last long enough to make them think that they could interrupt, because just as Lady Emma parted her lips to say something, Lady Ava suddenly spoke again, “I do not believe that we – that is to say, the local defence forces – would be able to stop these ‘pirates,” she said.</p>
<p>Lady Ellie could practically hear the quotation marks that she had used when she referred to the pirates, and the Marchioness was certain that even if most of her ladies-in-waiting had failed to catch up to that one, there was certainly one who had. That particular lady-in-waiting happened to be one who was seated on the table with the Countess of Madison and the Marchioness of Havenstark, but then again, being able to read between the lines – figuratively speaking as that might be at this moment – was one of the reasons why Lady Emma is the chief lady-in-waiting of the Marchioness of Havenstark.</p>
<p>“You think that they are far more than just pirates, Lady Ava,” this time, it was Lady Ellie who had spoken, and she was certain that she had caught everyone – not just the Countess of Madison – by surprise, because when they turned their attention toward her, Lady Ellie was able to see the expression on their faces. This time, it was her turn to cut off Lady Ava as the Marchioness just continued, “But I doubt that any who have designs on the Kingdom of Crotoa would take the time to circle around the galaxy and hit us from behind when they could have just hit us from the front.”</p>
<p>“Even if that would be the case,” Lady Emma suddenly said, “I doubt Roscan would have allowed them to waltz in their territory, and if Roscan had been hit, then we would have heard about it.”</p>
<p>Privately, Lady Ellie did not think that Roscan – a planet-state based on an ecumenopolis and the closest neighbour of the Kingdom of Crotoa from the Stenlar System – would actually be able to hold out against a determined invasion force, but at the same time, Lady Emma was correct. Even if Roscan were to fall, then by now, they should be able to get at least some inkling about it.</p>
<p>“There is one other place that we have to consider, Your Grace, my Lady,” Lady Ava suddenly said.</p>
<p>It was only at that moment that Lady Ellie realized that the Countess of Madison was using a different honorific than the one that she was used to, after all, the honorific ‘Your Grace’ is one that is usually reserved for a Duke – or Duchess – though Lady Ellie, as a member of the Royal Family, is actually entitled to use the same.</p>
<p>Of course, that was not the main issue at the moment, and Lady Ellie actually found herself staring at the direction of the Countess as she realized what the youngest woman seated around the table was saying. While Lady Ellie may have realized the implication of the words that have escaped from the lips of the Countess of Madison, it was actually the Countess of Gray Haven who broke the silence that had descended in the room after the last word that the Countess of Madison had said.</p>
<p>“Terra,” Lady Emma said, and even from the way that she had spoken, it was rather obvious that even she cannot believe what she was saying.</p>
<p>Of course, that was also the conclusion that Lady Ellie had come to, but then, it seemed so improbable that they are being attacked by Terra at that moment that, if she was being honest, Lady Ellie would have to admit that such a proposition should be considered as one that is impossible.</p>
<p>‘<em>Terra is locked in a conflict that would only end after the last human on it were to die,’</em> she remembered the lessons that her own tutor had narrated to her when she was younger, ‘<em>and fortunately for them, that would not be long off considering how they use weapons that could kill entire planets without regard for the consequences of the same.’</em></p>
<p>Indeed, the sharpest and keenest minds in the galaxy – not just the Kingdom of Crotoa – are sure that there are no humans left alive on Terra, or even if there are, then they most likely do not have access to technology that would allow them to travel through the void of space again.</p>
<p>‘<em>Yet, we lose people to the Dark Systems all the time,’</em> a voice at the back of the mind of Lady Elle – and she recognized it as her own – suddenly said. This actually caused the eyes of the Marchioness to widen as she sent out a silent curse – mentally, of course – even as she asked herself why she had not seen it before.</p>
<p>“Your Grace,” the voice of Lady Ava forced the Marchioness of Havenstark out of the reverie that she had fallen in, but even as she returned to the present, she could not help but frown because of the use of the honorific. Still, she was actually not able to say anything about that, because a few moments later, the Countess of Madison added, “Whether or not we are being attacked by Terra right now is of a secondary concern, because our primary concern is the fact that we would not be able to hold out against whoever is attacking us.”</p>
<p>This actually caused Lady Ellie to blink, yet at the same time, she would have to admit that she actually understood what the Countess was talking about. In the end, whether or not it is the home that they – humanity – had left behind that is attacking them at that moment was of little consequence, at least, at that moment. What was more important is the reason why Lady Ava wants Lady Ellie off of the planet and the system, though if she was being honest, the Marchioness would have to admit that she actually has an inkling as to why that is the case.</p>
<p>The suspicion of Lady Ellie was proven correct a few moments later as the Countess of Madison added, “Only Your Grace has the influence to rally the Kingdom of Crotoa at this moment,” she said.</p>
<p>Lady Ellie did not have to turn her attention toward the direction of Lady Emma at that moment in order to know that a frown was now marring the beautiful face of her chief lady-in-waiting, just as she did not need to turn her attention toward the direction of her other ladies-in-waiting to be sure that all of them have confused expressions on their faces.</p>
<p>A smile actually came across the face of Lady Ellie at that, and at the same time, she could not help but ask herself, ‘<em>Exactly how is it that we have labelled this young woman as someone who has no understanding of inner court politics?’</em></p>
<p>The fact that Lady Ava was able to guess that the Marchioness of Havenstark is the only one who can rally the Kingdom of Crotoa is testament to the fact that the Countess understood the rather unique position that the Marchioness holds in the household of the Royal Family, and it also shows that she understood the reason why the King had rarely shown himself to the public.</p>
<p>“I would not ask how you have come to that conclusion, my Lady Countess of Madison,” Lady Ellie suddenly said, and she had to be the one to speak, because she knew that Lady Emma – who is the only other person inside the room at the moment who understood the position of Lady Ellie – looked as if she was ready to say something, and at that moment, the Marchioness was not sure what her oldest and dearest friend was going to say, “but I would at least tell you that you are correct in that assessment.”</p>
<p>Lady Ava did not say anything else in reply to that, and Lady Ellie also understood why that is the case, after all, it was already understood – at least between herself, the Countess of Madison, and the Countess of Gray Haven – that the reason why Lady Ava was insisting that Lady Ellie evacuate is because without her, the Kingdom of Crotoa would not be able to retake Stenlar System.</p>
<p>It also meant that the eldest daughter of the man who rules over this particular planet had just told all of them that she did not think that her father would be able to hold the planet, but then again, given everything that Lady Ellie had come to know about Lady Ava, she would have to admit that the Countess of Madison rating her own father high would probably have been more surprising.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Aboard <em>CNS Infinite Justice</em>, Flagship Serendipity System Fleet</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Serendipity, Stenlar Star System, Kingdom of Crotoa</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Admiral Pierre Jules Lin</strong>
</p>
<p>He could not keep the expression of horror on his face as he took in the reports that were being displayed by the screen in front of him. It was probably understandable, however, why that is the case, after all, the reports that he was reading at that moment was telling him that he had lost almost half of his system fleet and a quick glance toward the upper right-hand side of the screen that was in front of him confirmed to him that not even thirty minutes had passed since they had first been forced to fire back after they had been fired upon.</p>
<p>If he was being honest, however, Admiral Pierre Jules Lin, the commander of the local Kingdom of Crotoa defense force, would have to admit that this day was turning out to be a day of surprises, and the first one that he had received – at least, in regards to the still unknown enemy force that had destroyed half of his system fleet – arrived on the screen of his personal tablet just a little under two hours ago when he was informed that the long-range scanners based on the surface of the natural satellite of the planet and the moon had detected a huge warp signature coming from the direction of the Sirius System.</p>
<p>He would normally have received such warnings and thus, it would not have been that surprising, if it was the other way around. If those scanners had informed him that they had detected numerous ships going <em>into </em>the Sirius System, then it would not have been that much of a problem, because while that system is supposed to be part of the Kingdom of Crotoa – and under his jurisdiction as the highest ranking military officer in the system – the truth was that no one goes into that system anymore.</p>
<p>It might not be part of the Dark Systems, but as far as the admiral was concerned, it might as well be, with the only difference between Sirius and the Dark Systems being that those who go to Sirius have a one in seven chance of returning alive. Those that go the Dark Systems have no chance at all.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, the ships that they had detected are not going into – but are coming from – the Sirius System. Admiral Lin would have ignored the message because the same report claimed that there are at least a hundred such ships, but before he could even do that, he was informed that the ships had entered warp and from the angle that they had their bows pointed when they did so, it was obvious that they are heading to the planet.</p>
<p>He called for his fleet to deploy at that moment, fully expecting that he would have at least four hours – that was the standard warp speed of old ships that pirates tend to use – in order to move into a formation that would allow him to cover the planet. Indeed, even as he made his way to the bridge of his flagship, he had sent an electronic notice to the captains of his ships to head to the flagship physically in order to discuss what is going on.</p>
<p>All of those plans came to naught, however, because the unknown force had materialized way faster than what the admiral had expected, and more to the point, they had materialized from a completely unexpected location.</p>
<p>The distances involved when travelling through the dark void of space – even within a system – would mean that it was always more efficient to just use warp while inside the system – outside the system, travel is done through hyper-drive, which could only be used outside the gravity well generated by the star in the middle of a system. Admiral Lin does not have a very good understanding of the science behind the warp – few people do – but he knew how to use it, and he also knew that just because a ship – or a formation thereof – is within the bubble generated by the warp does not mean that they are not affected by anything that is in real space.</p>
<p>It is the reason why a formation of ships could not just warp the moment that they had entered the system, rather, they have to take time in order to calculate for the best possible route in order to avoid the debris flying through the dark void of space, and usually, such calculations would take time – hence, adding to the four-hour time that Admiral Lin had calculated – and sometimes, there is the need to actually move to a different spot in space in real time, or to enter warp multiple times in order to ensure relatively safe navigation.</p>
<p>The desire for a relatively safe navigation is also one of the reasons why it is practice to warp away from large objects, such as asteroids, moons, and, naturally, planets. It may make for a more dramatic appearance for a while fleet to come out of the warp in planetary orbit, but the orbit of a planet – or a moon or asteroid – would often have effects on the warp that cannot be taken into account during the computation phrase.</p>
<p>In the off-chance that there is a need to warp as close as possible to such an object, most would ensure that they would warp on the aft of the orbiting body rather than to the front of the same. Appearing on the front of the same would mean that the orbiting object would be moving toward the spot that had been chosen to appear at, which means that there is the danger that the orbiting object would be at that spot the moment that the ship materializes, and a ship crashing into the said orbiting object is not the best practice for navigation.</p>
<p>Admiral Lin forced himself to return to the present at that moment even as he reminded himself that this fleet that was now in front of him – and he knew that it is a proper fleet, as his sensors are telling him the exact same thing, the ships in front of him are not only fighting in proper and rigid formation, but they also appear to be made up of a classes of ships that are the same. A pirate flotilla, the admiral reminded himself, would be made up of a more heterogeneous hodge-podge of ships, most of which would be converted from one class to another.</p>
<p>The floor upon which the chair that the admiral was seated on rattled at that moment even as the floor underneath him rumbled. It forced the admiral to turn his attention, but rather than turn it toward the direction of the floor, he instead turned it toward the direction of a screen in front of him. He only had to look at the data being displayed on the screen in front of him for a few moments before he realized why the floor had rattled, after all, the display screen in front of him had a rather large portion of it now dedicated to warning, informing him that one of the three turrets of his flagship had been destroyed.</p>
<p>Though he would not actually admit it – at least, not out loud, and not here, inside his bridge with his subordinates surrounding him – Admiral Lin was afraid. The display screen in front of him was telling him that the turret had been destroyed, not disabled, and he knew that the only way that the system would register it as such would be if the turret had actually been physically disconnected from the ship.</p>
<p>In all the battles that he had taken part in, Admiral Lin had never experienced having a turret of his ship physically disconnect from the ship. He had experienced losing a turret when everyone inside had been killed and the same could not be used – because of the holes that the mass-drivers and the rail-cannons had created on the side of the turret – but he had never experienced having a part of his ship physically separate itself from the rest of the battlewagon.</p>
<p>A quick glance toward the direction of another part of the screen in front of him caused him to have the urge to curse, but he was rather successful in preventing the curse that was about to come out of his lips. The reason for the curse that nearly escaped from his lips at that moment would be the fact that when he glanced at that corner of the screen in front of him, the only thing that he actually saw are two question marks, when it was supposed to indicate the estimate of the size of the caliber of the mass-drivers and rail-cannons that are being fired at them.</p>
<p>‘<em>One thing is for sure,’</em> he could not help but think, ‘<em>these guys are not pirates.’</em></p>
<p>At the same time that that thought entered the forefront of the mind of the admiral, he turned his attention toward another screen – this one was to his right hand side and connected to the arm rest of the chair that he was seated on – so that he could confirm the presence of a type of ship that he knew should not be among the ranks of their enemies if they are indeed pirates.</p>
<p>In hindsight, he realized that he should have known that something was off when he saw the carriers – and they are not conversion carriers too, because he had hard evidence that he was actually seeing full carriers and escort carriers in the ranks of the enemy. There are a lot of them too, with his long-range sensors confirming the presence of at least twenty full size carriers among the ranks of the enemy and nearly twice that number in escort carriers, though in the case of the latter, the admiral was prepared to accept that some may be misidentification on the part of their sensors.</p>
<p>Of course, the sheer size of the carriers in the enemy fleet would have made misidentifying them practically impossible, though as he studied the composition of the forces in front of him, he would have to admit that what really scared him would be the battleships - some of which are as big as the carriers – that are at the front-line.</p>
<p>A huge explosion – he can see it through the monitor to his right hand side and slightly above him – tore him out of his reverie, and he turned his attention toward that direction at the same time that his eyes widened. He actually did not need to read the report that had just flashed to the front of the screen directly in front of him – even if it was a report with only one line on it – in order to know where the explosions had come from.</p>
<p><em>‘The Peter Vier</em>,’ he thought. It was one of the destroyers assigned to his command, and the last time that he checked – before it had disappeared in one giant fireball, of course – the ship was yet to be hit by anything. The fact that it just exploded even if it had been undamaged prior is testament to the fact that their enemies are using projectiles that are big enough that at least half of their full battery could take out a destroyer in one salvo.</p>
<p>‘<em>What do we do?’</em> he could not help but ask himself, but before he could even begin to come up with an answer to the silent question that he had asked himself, he was forced to turn his attention back toward the same screen that had just shown him the death of one of his destroyers. The reason why he was forced to turn his attention back toward that screen was because of another explosion, and once, the eyes of the admiral widened as he saw another one of his destroyers explode in a great ball of fire that practically advertised that there would be no survivors.</p>
<p>“Admiral,” the voice of his aide tore Admiral Lin out of the reverie that he had fallen in – and at the same time, he could not help but curse himself for falling into a reverie while his subordinates are dying all around him – and he turned his attention toward the direction of his aide at the same time that he placed a questioning expression on his face.</p>
<p>He did not say anything, however, so the aide in question did not actually realize that he was looking at him, though he was quick to recover.</p>
<p>“We have received a message from Pence Castle,” the aide said, and as he took that message in, Admiral Lin could not help but blink in surprise. The fact that Pence Castle was sending them a message while they were in the middle of battle was not standard, as usually, messages would be sent from Fleet Headquarters, but then again, it would not matter where the message came from, and that was what went to the forefront of the mind of Admiral Lin at the same time that he silently motioned for a copy of the message to be sent to his screen.</p>
<p>As he had expected, the message was a written one, and because it was not signed, the admiral could not be sure if it was the Duke, one of his advisors, or probably one of the maids who had managed to get her hands on a console capable of sending messages to the flagship of the local defense fleet. In the end, however, it did not matter who sent it, because even if it was a maid who had sent the message, it does not change the simple implication that the message that they had received was.</p>
<p>‘<em>The niece of His Majesty is at the surface of the planet,’</em> the message read, ‘<em>try to buy as much time as you can so that we can get her out of here.’</em></p>
<p>Admiral Lin fought the urge to sigh even as he turned his attention toward the bow of his flagship just as the remaining two guns on the bow of the battlecruiser – after all, the other two guns that are supposed to be there had been taken out when the turret that was housing them was physically disconnected from his ship – fired a salvo.</p>
<p>‘<em>We are basically being asked to sacrifice ourselves,’</em> he thought, yet at that moment, the admiral would readily admit that he actually does not see that as too much to ask of them, after all, it was something that all sailors and marines of the Kingdom of Crotoa are supposed to be ready to do.</p>
<p>It took him less than five seconds to come up with a new decision and decide irrevocably that he is going to play the final card that he had left. It was, quite literally, the only card that he had, and it was one that took advantage of the one thing that the admiral though he had going for him, real-space speed.</p>
<p>Admiral Lin would admit that he felt the most determined that he had ever been in his life as he pushed himself off of his seat, and using his peripheral vision, he could see that his action had surprised some of his officers. Of course, before any of them could say anything, he cut them off, “Do we know where the enemy flagship is?” he asked.</p>
<p>It actually took a full ten seconds – and here, the admiral told himself that if this had been a more normal situation, he probably would have chewed off the head of his intelligence officer before the man could even answer – before the answer came. It was not, however, in the form of a verbal reply, rather, it was in the form of an electronic command that displayed the ship – and the position of the same – on the screen in front of the admiral.</p>
<p>He allowed himself a few moments to stare at the ship and note the dimensions of the same, and it would be hard for him to deny that he was impressed with the size. It would also be hard for him to deny that the ship is heavily armed and armored, though that was actually something that was advantageous to him and his people, after all, if the enemy flagship is heavily armed and armored, then they would not be able to maneuver properly.</p>
<p>That, after all, is the final card that Admiral Lin intended to play, and a few moments later, he turned his attention toward his flag-captain, “Accelerate,” he said, and from the determined look that appeared on the face of his old friend and subordinate, the admiral was certain that he understood what the admiral was asking for, though just in case there are others in the bridge who were still confused, the admiral added for their benefit a few moments later, “We are going to ram their flagship.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Royal Apartments, Pence Castle, Madison City</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Serendipity, Stenlar Star System, Kingdom of Crotoa</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Sir Adrian Christian ‘Ian’ Sherfield</strong>
</p>
<p>He ignored the sound of footsteps echoing around the hallway as he made his way through the same, but then again, perhaps the reason why he can afford to ignore the sounds of the footsteps that were echoing around the hallway was because he was among those who were causing the sounds to echo around the hallway in the first place. Granted, he was hardly the only one who was walking through the hallway with a purposeful stride that would have given anyone that would have seen them at that moment the impression that they are hurrying, but he had no doubt that anyone who would have seen them at that moment would not have made a remark about the pace that they had set up.</p>
<p>Sir Ian was rather certain that any person who would have seen them at that moment would have instead made a remark as to how he and his companions were dressed, though he personally doubted that any person that would encounter them in this castle would not have seen a knight in full armor before.</p>
<p>The reason why Sir Ian and the six men who were accompanying him at that moment were wearing body armor has to do with the situation that they had found themselves in, but at the same time, the vice-commander of the knight-group that had been sent to the planet with the intention of providing security for the eldest niece of the King of Crotoa reminded himself that the first assignment that he had received in regards to this situation that they are now in actually had nothing to do with what he was doing at the moment.</p>
<p>After all, the first task that he had received was that he was supposed to take a company of knight up to space and serve as reinforcements just in case the regular forces needed their help. Sir Ian would have to admit that he was more than happy to lay odds that they would not be called on to action, but the latest reports from their orbiting fleet had already told him that it would be best if all the members of their knight-order were to stay on the surface and wait for the coming orbital invasion because it would appear that the regular fleet had not been able to live up to expectation and had allowed themselves to be taken in by the pirates.</p>
<p>Sir Ian fought the urge to curse at that moment even as he found himself asking exactly what kind of pirate consortium would have enough strength – in numbers and, apparently, in strategy – that would allow them to actually mount an orbital invasion, though at the same time that he asked himself that question, the vice-commander would have to admit that part of him was still uncertain of the inevitability of an orbital invasion.</p>
<p>Just because the pirates look as if they are getting ready to secure orbital control does not mean that they are going to actually send their people on the surface of the planet, and indeed, Sir Ian told himself that if he was in command, he would not have bothered to send an orbital invasion if the objective was simply to blackmail the locals into providing the pirates with the resources that they are surely going to ask for.</p>
<p><em>‘But that is only if they are really just pirates,’</em> Sir Ian thought, but before he could truly follow up with that line of thought, he found himself turning into a corridor that he knew from experience would lead straight to the door of the apartment where the person that he was supposed to be protecting was safely secured. As if to provide him with further evidence that that is actually the case, when he turned into the corridor, the first thing that he saw would be the four fully-armored knights – and they are wearing the same bulky armor that Sir Ian was wearing, though unlike the vice-commander, these knights have their headgears on, preventing him from seeing their faces – who were standing on the side of the corridor.</p>
<p>The four knights were standing in such a way that there was only a limited passageway between them, though when they realized who it was that they are attempting to block, the four of them moved to the side in order to allow their vice-commander to move pass them, even if Sir Ian did not actually move pass them right away and instead, had taken a few moments to look at the four men.</p>
<p>As he had expected, the four of them also had rifles strapped on the back of the armor that they are wearing, though he personally doubted that those would see much action, even if these mysterious invaders who have now forced Sir Ian and his superior to change their plans were to mount an actual orbital invasion, after all it was a matter of course for such invasions to be preceded with a saturation strike that would see the entirety of the castle filled with the explosive gas known as Boreas.</p>
<p>In the presence of that gas, no explosive weapon could be used, because while it is generally not harmful to humans and other living things, it tends to react to heat rather violently, and explosive weapons tend to make the components of the gas explode rather violently, which meant that any person who would use explosive weapons in the presence of the same risks his life – and those around him – when he does so.</p>
<p>It is one of the reasons why knights had to be trained in the use of bladed melee weapons like swords, spears, axes, and even knives.</p>
<p>A quick glance toward the side of these knights that were now standing at attention on the part of the vice-commander confirmed that they are also carrying their swords, though at that moment, those weapons are sheathed inside their scabbards.</p>
<p>Sir Ian – and the six knights who are with him at that moment – were also carrying their swords, and as with the knights who are already in the corridor, theirs are also sheathed by their sides.</p>
<p>Having satisfied himself that these four are properly outfitted and ready to do their duties should they be called upon, the vice-commander resumed walking toward the direction of the entrance to the apartments of the Marchioness of Havenstark, but he had barely taken five steps forward before he was once more forced to pause as he found himself staring at the surprised expression on the face of one of his oldest friends.</p>
<p>Sir Ian had known Sir Leo long enough that he could usually tell what is the reason behind the surprised expression on the face of his old friend without really asking him, and in this instance, that was actually the case, though perhaps that was to be expected, given the situation that they had found themselves in.</p>
<p>“Vice-commander,” Sir Leo said as he nodded toward Sir Ian. He was, the vice-commander noted, observing proper protocol, referring to Sir Ian by his rank and title rather than using the more familiar term that he is actually entitled to use considering that they had finished their training at the same time and from the same school, “What are you doing here?” Sir Leo asked.</p>
<p>A sigh escaped from the lips of Sir Ian at the same time that he turned his gaze toward the direction of the door that would lead to the apartments of the woman that he had been sent here to defend and her retinue. Part of that retinue of the Marchioness of Havenstark, Sir Ian reminded himself, is a young woman who is not only the fiancé of this man in front of him, but also someone whom Sir Ian would consider as his sister in all but blood.</p>
<p>After he had allowed those thoughts to go through the forefront of his mind, the vice-commander returned his attention toward the direction of his old friend. He paused in order to study the expression that Sir Leo was wearing – and the expression that he was wearing told Sir Ian that his old friend was about to say something – before he then answered the question that he had been asked, “We have a change of plans,” he said.</p>
<p>Once more, Sir Ian turned his attention toward the direction of the door before he added – and this time, he did not allow himself the luxury of turning his attention toward the direction of his old friend – “Reports from orbit indicate that things are not going as we had expected, and the knight-general believe that we would be better off gathering all of our knights here,” it was only at that moment that Sir Ian turned his attention toward the direction of his old friend.</p>
<p>The expression on the face of Sir Leo was all that Sir Ian needed to see in order to know that his old friend did not exactly believe the words that have escaped from the lips of Sir Ian, but the vice-commander was not in the mood to actually convince his friend about what is happening, and a few moments later, he asked, “Is Her Grace and her retinue in?”</p>
<p>If he was being honest, Sir Ian would have to admit that the question that he had asked was an unfair one, after all, he already knew that the answer would be in the affirmative – if it was in the negative, then they would have a problem – but he still asked the question. As he had already known the answer to the question that he had asked, however, the response of his old friend was also something that was to be expected.</p>
<p>“Yes,” Sir Leo replied. He paused for a brief moment, and it was rather obvious that he was hoping that Sir Ian would say something, though when the vice-commander did not say anything – because Sir Ian was curious as to what it was that his old friend was about to say – Sir Leo added, “The Countess of Madison has also entered the apartment a few minutes ago.”</p>
<p>That caused Sir Ian to blink, but then he mentally shook his head as he chased away his first reaction – which was to ask Sir Leo why he thought that it was a good idea to let a stranger into the apartments of the person that they are supposed to protect – even as he told himself that of all the people in the castle at the moment, it is perhaps the Countess of Madison who is the only one who could be asked to join the party of the Marchioness of Havenstark, after all, the eldest daughter of the Duke of Winnipeg is the reason that the Marchioness is here in the first place.</p>
<p>“I do not see that to be a problem,” Sir Ian said a few moments later. He took one step toward the direction of the door and as he did so, he raised his right hand so that he could use the same to knock on the door, but at that moment, he was prevented from doing so by the sound of his radio – which was actually inside the armor that he was wearing, though it was connected to a small earphone which was on his right ear – coming to life.</p>
<p>“Vice-Commander,” Sir Ian recognized the voice at the other end of the radio as one coming from their commanding officer, and from the way that he was speaking, it was obvious that whatever message it was that he wanted to deliver, it was serious. Of course, Sir Ian did not actually get the chance to ask him what the news was because Knight-General quickly asked, “Are you in the apartments of the Marchioness?”</p>
<p>“Just about, commander,” Sir Ian replied, at the same time that he brought the mouthpiece – which was connected to a part of the helmet that he was supposed to wear before heading to battle – close to his mouth, “I am just about to inform Her Grace about what is happening and about the change in our plans.”</p>
<p>He could not be sure why, but at that moment, Sir Ian could not help but imagine that his commanding officer was wearing a grave expression on his face. As he could not be sure, however, Sir Ian decided to chase away that impression from the forefront of his brain, and in that regard, he was assisted by the fact that it was at that moment that Knight-General Clancy began to speak again, “We have another change of plan, Sir Ian, and we need Her Grace with us at the Great Hall as soon as possible, please.”</p>
<p>There was a part of Sir Ian that was curious as to what is happening, but he forced that curious side of him back at the back of his brain as he replied to the instruction of his commanding officer, “Of course, General,” he said.</p>
<p>He would have to admit that he thought that that was the end of their conversation, but it soon became apparent that that was not actually the case as a few moments later, the Knight-General then added, “If need be, you can inform Her Grace that we have lost our flagship in orbit,” he said.</p>
<p>This caused the eyes of Sir Ian to widen, but he instantly recovered from the shocking news that he had been given, though he did not bother to acknowledge the message that Knight-General Clancy had given. As it would appear that the radio of the Knight-General was using a frequency that was reserved for the use of the commander and the vice-commander only, none of the other knights – even if they actually have their own radios – appear to have heard the conversation that the vice-commander just had with their commander.</p>
<p>It was, however, just as well, because Sir Ian did not think that he would be able to stop a collapse of morale, something that he was sure was likely to happen if the others had heard what their commanding officer had just said. Of course, a few moments later, the vice-commander had to concede that perhaps he was not being fair, after all, the men around him have all proved themselves to be knights and it is highly unlikely that they would lose their morae after that news.</p>
<p>Still, the fact that the Knight-General had used the private channel meant that the men around him had only heard his side of the conversation.</p>
<p>Sir Ian turned his attention toward his old friend “Ask permission to enter the apartments now,” he said, though he did not actually wait for his old friend to move in compliance with the order that he had given before he turned his attention toward the direction of the knights he had brought with him, and in a no-nonsense voice, he commanded them, “We are heading to the Great Hall with the Marchioness, her retinue, and the Countess of Madison, make sure that we would have the fastest and best route and that no one would be able to stop us once we are moving.”</p>
<p>Once more, the vice-commander had not bothered to make sure that his orders would be complied with, though in the case of these knights, Sir Ian did not actually need to see them moving because he could hear them moving, and at that moment, that was actually far more than what he could say for his old friend as he was yet to hear knocking sounds on the door to the apartments occupied by Lady Ellie and her retinue.</p>
<p>It was for that reason that when he turned his attention toward the direction of the door a few moments later, he had to blink when he saw that the same was already opened. He had not heard Sir Leo knock on the door, which surely meant that he had opened it without bothering to knock, but Sir Ian mentally shook his head at that moment even as he thought to himself that he would deal with that little faux-pas of his old friend later.</p>
<p>Instead, the vice-commander headed straight toward the door the threshold that separated the hallway from the apartment of the Marchioness. By the time that he reached his destination, however, he could not help but blink again when he saw that the Marchioness was already looking at his direction and from the way that she – and the others, even the Countess of Madison – are dressed, it was rather obvious that they are planning to leave, after all, Sir Ian did not think that they would have changed to their riding clothes when he knew for a fact that they are not scheduled to go riding today.</p>
<p>“My Lady,” Sir Ian said a few moments later, though before he allowed those words to escape from his lips, he mentally reminded himself to use the proper honorific, because Lady Ellie had always indicated to him that she did not like it when Sir Ian – or anyone else for that matter – would use the other honorific that she was entitled to.</p>
<p>The vice-commander decided that he would not ask her about why they are dressed the way that they are dressed – after all, the fact that they are already ready to leave slashed a considerable amount of time in tier rapidly dwindling time-table – before he added, “I am afraid that we have a change of plans.”</p>
<p>He saw her smile at him, “Quite,” the Marchioness said, and Sir Ian saw her glance toward the direction of Lady Ellie, silently telling him that if the vice-commander wanted to know what the reason for them already being ready to leave was, then he should inquire with the Countess of Madison. Of course, that is something that would have to be done in the future because at that moment, getting Lady Ellie out of her apartment was the most important thing.</p>
<p>“Where would we be heading, Sir Ian?” the question that escaped from the lips of the Marchioness tore the vice-commander out of the reverie that he had not even realized he had fallen into, but he was quite certain that none of the ladies – or the knights – in the room had noticed as he returned his attention toward the Marchioness.</p>
<p>“My Lady,” he started. He did not bother to hide the hesitating expression that appeared on his face at that moment, but then he added, “The Knight-General had indicated that we should head to the Great Hall,” before he turned his attention toward the Countess of Madison and added, “His Grace is most likely in the Great Hall as well, my Lady.”</p>
<p>Sir Ian was rather disturbed by the small smile that appeared on the face of the Countess of Madison in response to the words that he had just said, because he was quite certain that the smile that appeared on the face of the Countess was not one in relief. Of course, before the vice-commander could make a comment about it – and in any case, if he was being honest, it was not as if he was going to comment about it – he was forced to turn his attention away from her.</p>
<p>This time, it was Lady Emma who had forced him out of his reverie, “Then it is best that we go now,” she said.</p>
<p>Sir Ian nodded toward the woman that he had always considered to be his sister, but at that moment, he was forced to pause as he heard the radio that he was wearing come alive again, and as he unconsciously brought his right hand up so that he could press the earpiece deeper into his ear, a shriek from one of the ladies-in-waiting of the Marchioness of Havenstark made him turn his attention toward that direction.</p>
<p>It was not, however, that lady who had screamed that Sir Ian saw first, rather, the first thing that he saw was a formation of arrow-shaped aircraft heading toward them through one of the many windows in the living room. Sir Ian may be a ground combat specialist – because he is a knight – but he is very familiar with all equipment being used by the Kingdom of Crotoa and he knew without a doubt that the formation of arrow-shaped aircraft that are heading toward them are not from the Kingdom of Crotoa.</p>
<p>That impression was reinforced a few moments later as he watched something detach from the undercarriage of the arrow shaped aircraft. His first impression was that the canisters that were detached from the aircraft were bombs, but when no explosions followed, the eyes of the vice-commander widened as he realized what was happening.</p>
<p>Fighting the urge to curse, he turned his attention toward the direction of the Marchioness of Havenstark. By the time that he was able to turn his attention toward her, he could see that she had actually followed the direction of his gaze, which meant that she also saw the exact same thing that Sir Ian had just seen.</p>
<p>“My Lady,” Sir Ian suddenly said, and he could tell that he brought her out of the reverie that she had fallen in when he called for her. Indeed, the Marchioness turned her attention toward his direction a few moments later and he could see the questioning expression on her face even as she parted her lips in an obvious attempt to say something. Whatever it was that she was going to say, however, was something that, for the moment, she would have to keep for herself, because the vice-commander quickly added, “We need to leave now.”</p>
<p>“Boreas gas canisters,” Sir Ian heard a few moments later, and when he turned his attention toward the direction where the voice came from, he could see that it was actually Sir Leo, though the other knight was not actually looking at the direction of Lady Ellie, rather, he was looking toward the direction of his fiancé, and that made it rather obvious that it was Lady Emma who had asked the question.</p>
<p>Sir Leo, however, turned his attention toward the direction of Sir Ian a few moments later, and as their eyes met, the vice-commander realized that his old friend was asking him to be the one to explain. It was something that Sir Ian was more than happy to do, “They have begun their orbital invasion,” he said.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Great Hall, Pence Castle, Madison City</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Serendipity, Stenlar Star System, Kingdom of Crotoa</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Duke Sir Ryan Philip Pence</strong>
</p>
<p>He can honestly say that he cannot remember the last time that he had worn the armor that he was wearing at that moment, for while he is a Duke – and therefore, he had undergone knight training as well – he would have to admit that he had never found any sort of excitement with going out to the field and hunting for pirates. He could honestly say that he would have much preferred to stay home and practice politics, though if he would have to go to the field, he would make sure that he was actually with the group of people who would stay aboard his ship rather than engaging in a hand to hand fight.</p>
<p>That was not to say, however, that Duke Ryan is absolutely useless with a sword, after all, as had been mentioned before, he had undergone knight training, and while seven out of ten knights he would face in the competition could defeat him, the Duke of Winnipeg is of the opinion that those same statistics could not be applied in the present case because they are not really up against knights, rather, it would appear that they are up against pirates, though at the same time that that thought entered the forefront of his mind, he could not help but want to cradle his head as he reminded himself that they had already made a mistake when they underestimated their adversaries.</p>
<p>‘<em>Perhaps it would be best if we stop referring to them as pirates,’</em> he thought, and at the same time that he allowed that thought to enter the forefront of his mind, he turned his attention toward the direction of his throne. At that moment, there was an open passageway there, and he knew that it would lead to relative safety, toward an unknown villa that was built deep inside a mountain.</p>
<p>That villa would have its own rail-launch system and a single ship that could reach orbit, and the Duke of Winnipeg supposed that he could take that with his family and escape from the planet, but that was the last thing on the mind of the Duke at that moment, after all, there is someone in the planet at the moment that ranks higher than him, and even if the eldest niece of his sovereign king had not been in the planet, the Duke still would not have left the planet.</p>
<p>He fought the urge to sigh at that moment even as he turned his attention toward the direction of the main entrance to the Great Hall. The large – it would have taken a huge machine to open it, and at that moment, they had disabled the machine – door was barred with a huge solid metal pole, though if he was being honest, the Duke would have to admit that he did not believe that that alone would be enough to stop the people who are attacking them, yet he had still given the order because it would have given them a few minutes at the least.</p>
<p>In front of the main entrance to the Great Hall, five hundred knights were gathered, with more than half of them coming from his personal guard and the balance coming from the Knight-Order of Eurus under the command of their Knight-General, Thomas Clancy, who was actually with his people and waiting for the arrival of their adversaries. Usually, they would have accompanied the Marchioness, but the Knight-General had realized that they would be better off protecting her by remaining behind and sending the Marchioness, her retinue, and a small number of knights to the hidden villa.</p>
<p>Indeed, the Duke knew that the Knight-General had actually already made the decision to send his vice-commander ahead, but he seriously doubted that Sir Ian had been informed, because fif he had, then the vice-commander would have complained already.</p>
<p>The Duke was forced out of his reverie a few moments later as one of the doors to the side of the Great Hall opened, and he turned his attention toward the direction of where the sound had come from just in time to see as four knights entered the Great Hall. Duke Ryan recognized them as those who have accompanied the vice-commander, but even if he had not, it was obvious that they are with Sir Ian because the vice-commander of the Knight-Order appeared a few moments later, and just as he expected, Lady Ellie and her retinue are with him.</p>
<p>Duke Ryan also saw his daughter with them, and while a part of him was surprised, he could not help but think that the fact that Lady Ellie and her retinue had arrived faster than he had expected – and in their riding clothes – was something that he could lay squarely on the antics of his daughter. He would admit that there were times in the past when the antics of the Countess had driven him to despair – hence, the reason why he had asked for the assistance of the Marchioness in the first place – but this was not one of those.</p>
<p>“My Lady,” the Duke said as he approached the Marchioness. Using his peripheral vision, he could see that some of the knights around the Marchioness and her retinue had turned their attention toward him as he approached, but as they were quick to note that it is the local ruling lord who was approaching, they quickly turned their attention away, even as the Duke told himself that that reaction on their part was something that he had expected and, indeed, if he was being honest, he would have complained even more if they had not reacted the way that they had.</p>
<p>In any case, he put that at the back of his mind as he focused his gaze upon the Marchioness, and when he saw that she had turned her attention toward her, he parted his lips with the intention of apologizing to her, though before he could say anything, he found himself cut off by the smile that Lady Ellie was wearing.</p>
<p>“Your Grace,” she said, “Seeing as you are not the one who had asked for these pirates to come for a visit, I do not think that there is anything that you should be apologizing for.”</p>
<p>Using his peripheral vision, he looked at the expression on the face of his daughter, and he would have to admit that he was expecting Lady Ava to place an expression of disappointment because the Marchioness had apparently not been convinced that they are being attacked by Terra – if Lady Ava had headed to the apartments of the Marchioness, Duke Ryan just knew that his daughter would have tried to convince the Marchioness – but when he focused his gaze upon her visage, he was rather surprised to see that there was a neutral expression on the face of his eldest daughter.</p>
<p>The Duke of Winnipeg returned his full attention toward Lady Ellie at that moment, but before he could say anything else, he was cut off as Knight-General Clancy approached them. In deference to the fact that the Duke of Winnipeg is the higher ranking noble in the group, the Knight-General politely inclined his head Duke Ryan, but when he spoke, the words that he uttered were directed not toward the direction of the Duke of Winnipeg but toward the Marchioness of Havenstark.</p>
<p>“My Lady,” the Knight-General said, “I apologize for this plan, but I believe that offers us the best chance of getting you out of here.”</p>
<p>For a few moments, the Marchioness did not reply, and from the expression on the face of Knight-General Clancy, it was rather obvious that he actually felt as if the Marchioness was not replying because she disapproved of the plan. A few moments later, however, the Knight-General and the Duke realized that that was not actually the reason why Lady Ellie had not said anything, rather, the reason was because she actually did not know what the plan that the Knight-General was talking about was.</p>
<p>“What is your plan, Knight-General?” it was Lady Emma who had asked the question, but even if it was the chief lady-in-waiting who had spoken, it was rather obvious that the Countess of Gray Haven was speaking with the authority of the Marchioness of Havenstark.</p>
<p>“We have a villa hidden under the mountains outside the city,” Duke Ryan suddenly said, and judging from the way that the eyes of his eldest daughter had widened, he realized that she did not know about that, which actually surprised the Duke as he had thought that his daughter knew everything there is to know about the castle. Given the situation that they had found themselves in, however, he did not think to gloat about it, and instead, he continued to speak, “There is a rail-launch facility and a small inter-system capable ship should the need arise, but I do not think that you would be needing it.”</p>
<p>Lady Ellie turned his attention toward Knight-General Clancy, but before she could ask anything, the Knight-General was already speaking, “The bulk of the Knight-Order would stay behind and work with the Ducal Guards to hold the line and allow you and a small group of knights to escape,” he paused before he turned his attention toward Sir Ian, and he added, “You would be leading that bulk of knights.”</p>
<p>As Duke Ryan had expected, the reaction of the vice-commander to that news was less than stellar, and indeed, from the expression on his face, it was clear that he was about to protest. Before he could do so, however, the Duke suddenly said, “The entrance to the tunnel that would lead you to the villa is behind the throne,” and with that said, he pointed toward the passageway.</p>
<p>Once more, the expression on the face of his daughter was the only thing that the Duke needed to see in order to realize that she had not known that there would be an entrance there, but once more, he did not have the time to gloat about the fact that there is something about this castle that his daughter did not know as he suddenly turned his attention toward Sir Ian and said, “You need to go now.”</p>
<p>At the same time that he had said that, he noted that Lady Ava and Lady Emma were practically half-guiding, half-leading the Marchioness toward the hole that would lead them to the passageway, yet at the same time, it would appear that the vice-commander had not moved from the position that he was in.</p>
<p>This prompted Duke Ryan to turn his attention toward the direction of the vice-commander, and as soon as he did so, the Duke of Winnipeg saw the expression of defiance on the face of the vice-commander. At that moment, the Duke was of two minds, because there was a part of him that could not help but admire the resolve of Sir Ian to remain with his comrades, but at the same time, there was a part of him that was irritated because they are wasting their time.</p>
<p>He turned his attention back toward the direction of the passageway at the same time that he saw that Lady Emma was already helping Lady Ellie down the same, though before the Duke could say anything about it, he was distracted by the Knight-General screaming toward the direction of Sir Ian. It would appear that whatever protest it was that the vice-commander was intent on putting up had been silenced, because soon, the vice-commander was heading toward the direction of the tunnel entrance.</p>
<p>Once more, Duke Ryan turned his attention toward the direction of the tunnel entrance, and he actually felt a sense of relief when he saw that his eldest daughter was now entering the passageway. There was a part of him that was momentarily confused when he saw that the chief lady-in-waiting of Lady Ellie had not yet entered the passageway, but when he looked at the direction where she had turned her attention, he felt that he had stumbled upon the answer, because she was evidently looking at the direction of the formation of knights that her fiancé is a part of.</p>
<p>An explosion coming from the direction of the main entrance to the Great Hall made Duke Ryan turn his attention toward that direction, just in time to see as one of the doors actually fell back into the Great Hall. Fighting the urge to curse, he focused his attention not toward the direction of the door, but toward the direction of the passageway behind his throne, and when he saw that it was actually already closed, he let out a sigh of relief as he knew that, at the least, the party containing his daughter and the most important noble in the planet had at least managed to escape.</p>
<p>At the same time that Duke Ryan drew his sword from the scabbard by his side – because even at that moment, blaring alarms attached to his armor was warning him that the Great Hall was filling with Boreas gas which would make using firearms impossible – he turned his attention back toward the direction of the entrance into the Great Hall, just in time to watch as armored knights – and the fact that they are wearing the armor that they are wearing told him that these are no pirates – swarmed into the room, quickly forming a perimeter around the Duke and the knights and ducal guards of the Kingdom of Crotoa who had remained behind.</p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Sir Ian finds himself dealing with a Lady Ellie determined to return to the Great Hall.<br/>Vice Admiral Cline and Lord Alexander have a conversation on their way to the surface of Serendipity.<br/>Sir John receives new orders from the Empress via the latter's chief lady-in-waiting.<br/>Lady Emma begins to suspect that she has more to do with the predicament that they are now faced with than she had imagined.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>FOUR</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Faster-than-Light Travel Options in the 20<sup>th</sup> Century of the Space Era</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Introduction </strong>
</p>
<p>There are three methods by which humans can travel faster-than-light, although strictly speaking, by the time of the publication of this work, most of humanity believed that there are only two methods by which they could travel through the void. This is not a function of the fact that the nation that had discovered the third method had kept the secret of such method from the rest of humanity, rather, it is a function of the fact that the rest of humanity had forgotten their home-planet and because they had forgotten the land where our species had first evolved and flourished, they had also forgotten about the Holy Empire of Terra.</p>
<p>As for the reason why that is important, it lies in the fact that the Holy Empire of Terra had discovered the third method.</p>
<p>The first two methods described in this work had been discovered by humanity long before they bulk of our species have decided to leave the fold of our mother-planet and loose themselves among the thousands of stars that make up our resident galaxy. It is for this reason that the first two methods – warp and the hyper-lane – are universal in the sense that every nation of humanity is capable of using them. Indeed, one can argue that if there was a precursor race to humanity, such a precursor race had also used these first two methods of travel.</p>
<p>Of course, it is not the objective of this work to prove the existence of a precursor race that had ruled over this galaxy that we found ourselves in long before humanity had come to the fore. That is a subject for another time and for another paper, though suffice to say, there are countless pieces of evidence that, when interpreted with a slight slant, could either prove or disprove the existence of such a precursor race.</p>
<p>The three methods of faster-than-light travel available to humanity are, in the order of their discovery, warp-travel, hyper-lane, and gateways, with the last being a form of faster-than-light travel limited only to the Holy Empire of Terra.</p>
<p>Although this work is intended to fully explain the differences between the three forms of faster-than-light travel, the authors of this work fully acknowledge that this would involve rather complicated equations and physics and thus, for those who simply wish to have a passing knowledge of these methods – and those who had picked up this work simply because they needed to pass their physics examinations – the authors have not gone into the complicated equations and physics in the first part of this work.</p>
<p>As for those who are interested in the complicated equations and physics and who already have a passing or maybe even an intermediate knowledge of these technologies upon which space travel depend, the authors suggest that you skip the first part of this work.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Warp-Travel</strong>
</p>
<p>Perhaps the least-complicated and most limited of the three forms of faster-than-light travel is ‘Warp-Travel’, or warp as it is colloquially known. As had been mentioned before, it is the first of the three methods of faster-than-light travel that humanity had developed and relies solely on the gravity well exerted by the star – or in some cases, stars – found at the center of a system.</p>
<p>The most simply explanation of warp-travel is that the warp-drive creates a relatively small hole in space-time within the system, using the gravity of the star at the center of the system as its anchor in order to stabilize the same. As the stabilization of this hole depends upon the gravity of the star at the center of the system, it could only be used within the region of space where the star can exert its greatest gravitational pull, or, in other words, it could only be used within the system.</p>
<p>Indeed, the dependence upon the gravity of the star was so fundamental that early warp-engines could not actually be used to travel within a system where there is more than one star at the center of the system because the gravitational pull of one star would interfere with the gravitational pull of the other.</p>
<p>It took a few decades before humanity had developed a solution to this problem, but again, this is through the use of rather complicated equations which would be better explained in the second part of this work.</p>
<p>At the other side of this spectrum is that warp-engines are very efficient in systems where the gravitational pull of the star is stronger than usual or, in other words, inside systems where the star had collapsed into black-holes, though it must be noted that traveling in a system where there is a black hole has its own rather complicated consequence as not even a warp-drive could escape the gravitational pull of a black-hole.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Hyper-Lane</strong>
</p>
<p>The Hyper-Lane Drive or hyperspace travel as it is colloquially known is the second faster-than-light technology that humanity has developed. In contrast with a warp-drive, a hyper-lane drive takes advantage of the fact that in the dark void in between systems, there are relatively few gravity wells.</p>
<p>This lack of gravity wells means that even the most sensitive warp-drives could not be used to travel through the void of interstellar space, but it is precisely because of this relative lack of gravity wells that hyper-lanes could exists.</p>
<p>A hyper-lane drive depends upon a ‘line’ connecting one system with another. This line is not always going to be the most direct line and often, the line would require a traveler moving from point A to stop at point C or more in order to reach point B, but that is because it is impossible to move from point A to point B directly.</p>
<p>This impossibility is because of the presence of gravity wells in the straight line between the two points which could pull a ship travelling in the hyperspace network back into real space, and when that happen, often, the ship is stuck in wherever it is that it would fall off of the hyperspace network.</p>
<p>To access the hyperspace network, the hyper-lane drive generates an energy field around the ship so as to allow it to enter a sub-region of space where the general and special laws of relativity are suspended. Again, to fully explain how this works would require complicated equations and physics best described in the second part of this work.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Gateways</strong>
</p>
<p>The third and most complicated faster-than-light method developed by humanity – and of these three, the only one that nations outside the Holy Empire of Terra are unaware of – would be gateway travel.</p>
<p>Ironically enough, creating shortcuts between two points in space is one of the first methods of faster-than-light that had been mathematically proven to be possible.</p>
<p>The faster-than-light travel that we refer to as gateways is, at its core, nothing more than a shortcut between point A and point B. In other words, it is a wormhole, though unlike the original iteration of a wormhole which is described as being fully natural, a gateway is an artificial construct that depends upon a massive structure known as a Gateway.</p>
<p>When activated, a Gateway, with its unique frequency, would contact another gateway, also with its own unique frequency, to establish an artificial connection between the two points. The connection is large enough and stable enough that so long as the connection is active, any number of ships could pass through the created shortcut and emerge from point A to point B almost instantly.</p>
<p>It must be noted that while this form of travel would most certainly be the most efficient, that is only true at first glance. It must be noted that gateways could not be built within the gravity well of a star, or that region of space where warp-travel is possible. Yet, because of the amount – ‘colossal’ as one of the authors of this work always prefer to say – of power necessary to power the connection, within a system, the only natural source of energy would be the star itself and the energy would have to be transferred to the gateway itself from a power-plant that is not always going to transfer the energy harvested in the most efficient manner.</p>
<p>While it is true that the problem of providing the necessary power is something that could be solved by engineering, one must not lose sight of another problem with gateways, which is that they are also rather expensive in its construction. It is for this reason that the construction of gateways would only be undertaken in strategic locations once the Great Crusade begins, with these systems eventually becoming terminal systems that would connect with one of the five systems surrounding Sol itself as it must be remembered that Sol does not actually have its own Gateway, though it must be noted that the reason for that is political more than anything else.</p>
<ul>
<li>Johannson, Frederick, Olsen Matthew, VanCamp Gregory, and Atwell, Carl Richard, “Introduction to Faster-than-Light and Space Travel”, <em>Journal of Scientific Advancement</em>, Edited by Portman, John Paul, University of New Bavaria, 1852 SE, page 12.</li>
</ul>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Escape Tunnel B-17, Pence Castle, Madison City</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Serendipity, Stenlar Star System, Kingdom of Crotoa</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Sir Adrian Christian ‘Ian’ Sherfield</strong>
</p>
<p>If he was being honest, he would have to admit that he had known that they were in trouble even before he had heard the protesting sounds that escaped from the lips of the woman that he and his fellow knights are supposed to be protecting, and because he was being honest at that moment – even if only to himself – he would also have to admit that it was not when he had heard the door that he had just seen the woman that he was supposed to be protecting crossing through that he had realized that there was trouble brewing.</p>
<p>Indeed, when Sir Ian saw Lady Ellie crossed the threshold that separated the Great Hall from this escape tunnel that they had found themselves in, he would have to admit that he felt a small sense of relief, because, at least, the Marchioness was already inside the tunnel, and there was something about the way that the door sounded as it closed that made him believe that it would not be easy to open the same. Yet, at the same time, when he saw who the last person who had crossed the threshold was, he could not help but look around in an attempt – and he realized how vain the attempt was but a few moments after he had began – to find another very familiar face among the dozen or so people who are with them at that moment.</p>
<p>Aside from the half-dozen other knights that had been assigned to Sir Ian, Lady Ellie, and Sir Ian himself, the only other people who are in the tunnel with them at that moment would be Lady Ava and three of the six ladies-in-waiting who are supposed to be with Lady Ellie. He fought the urge to curse at that moment when he saw that half of the ladies-in-waiting of the Marchioness are not with her, though – again – if he was being honest, he would have to admit that he would not have been as distressed as he was at that moment even if the Marchioness only had one lady-in-waiting left, so long that companion of the Marchioness is the right one.</p>
<p>It was not just because he had grown up with the Countess of Gray Haven that Sir Ian would consider Lady Emma as the right lady-in-waiting who should be with the Marchioness at that moment, and he was confident that he is not the only one who was thinking that way, because it was rather obvious that even the Marchioness herself believed that that is the case.</p>
<p>Lady Ellie and Lady Emma, after all, had practically grown up together.</p>
<p>Indeed, that was made more poignant a few moments later when the protesting sound escaped from the lips of Lady Ellie, and even without returning his gaze toward the Marchioness that he was supposed to be protecting, the vice-commander knew that the sound that escaped from the lips of the Marchioness was her own way of marking the moment when she realized that her oldest and dearest friend was not with them.</p>
<p>He turned his full gaze toward the direction of the Marchioness as he knew that that was the only thing that he could do at that moment, and at the same time that he did that, he saw the Marchioness turn her own gaze toward him. Their eyes met, though if he was being honest, Sir Ian would have to admit that he actually could not understand the meaning behind the look that the Marchioness was giving him, and that, in turn, was another reason why he regretted the fact that Lady Emma is not with them at that moment.</p>
<p>After all, he was quite certain that if it was the Countess of Gray Haven who had seen the expression on the face of the Marchioness of Havenstark, Lady Emma would have been able to decipher the message behind the expression that Lady Ellie was wearing.</p>
<p>Of course, the vice-commander could reasonably guess the meaning behind the expression that Lady Ellie had on her face, even if, a few moments later, there was no need for him to actually decipher it because at that moment, the Marchioness parted her lips to say something.</p>
<p>Again, before the words could escape from the lips of Lady Ellie, the vice-commander already had a rough idea of what the Marchioness was going to say, which meant that he was not exactly surprised with the words that escaped through her lips.</p>
<p>“Open the door,” Lady Ellie demanded as she glared at the direction of the vice-commander. When he did not move – and at that time, the reason why he did not move was because he actually had no idea how to comply with the instruction that she had given, and not because he thought that it was a bad idea to actually comply with the order – the Marchioness repeated the order, and she increased the volume of her voice in such a way that she was practically screaming, “Open the door!” she repeated.</p>
<p>Sir Ian reminded himself that the times when he had seen the Marchioness actually screaming was few and far between. It was his first time being at the receiving end of a scream from Lady Ellie, and he could honestly say that he did not like the feeling.</p>
<p>Perhaps it was because of that sentiment that the vice-commander turned his attention again a few moments later, though it was not because he did not want to continue staring at the direction of the young woman that he and his fellow knights are supposed to be protecting, rather, he turned his gaze so that he could fix the same upon the only person in this group that the vice-commander believed had an inkling of how to open the door that they had just passed through.</p>
<p>Sir Ian merely had to glance once at the expression on the face of the Countess of Madison, however, before he realized that even she would not be able to open the door in question.</p>
<p>“I didn’t even know we had something like this until a few moments ago,” Lady Ava said a few moments later, though by the time that she had said that, the vice-commander had actually turned his attention away from her.</p>
<p>Even if she had spoken, Sir Ian did not actually return his attention toward the Countess, rather, he concentrated his gaze toward the direction of the portal that they had just crossed through even as he noted how solid the door that was now blocking the same appear to be. Without even touching the door, he could tell that it was made of the same kind of steel that they used for their warships.</p>
<p>As he stared at the same, he could not help but acknowledge that whoever had made the choice to use that kind of steel was competent, because he knew for a fact that it would take a huge amount of force to punch through the door, and he doubted that the people who had attacked them carried a portable rail-cannon with them. They had also seeded the entire castle with explosive particles during the first phrase of their assault, which meant that they could not use explosive charges to force the door to open.</p>
<p>As an ordinary person would not have been able to open this door even if said person were to use his full strength, it was rather obvious that there was a mechanical mechanism that one could use to make the door open, and in his attempt to search for that mechanism, the vice-commander began to look along the perimeter of the door that was now blocking the portal as well as the surrounding area, but his search turned out to be in vain.</p>
<p>Even if that was the case, however, he would have continued to search for the switch if not for the fact that, a few moments later, he was distracted from continuing his search by the Countess of Madison, “I don’t think you’d find a switch, Sir Ian,” she said.</p>
<p>The vice-commander was not the only one who turned his attention toward her direction in response to the words that she had just uttered, because using his peripheral vision, he could see that even the Marchioness had turned her attention toward the direction of Lady Ava. It was to the credit of the Countess of Madison that she did not even budge even with the expression that was written on the face of the Marchioness of Havenstark, but then again, perhaps the reason for that was because the Countess continued to explain, “The castle is full of one-way mechanisms that could only be operated from one console, and I think this is one of those..”</p>
<p>For a few moments, no one said anything, and it was evident that Lady Ava believed that she should continue to explain, as a few moments later, the vice-commander saw her part her lips again. He had no doubt that she would try to justify what she had just said, but before she could push even a single word out of her mouth, she was forced to pause as Lady Ellie interrupted her, “This is supposed to be an escape tunnel, Lady Ava,” the Marchioness said, “What happens if someone made the mistake of entering it and the door closed behind them?”</p>
<p>The Countess of Madison did not answer the question, and as for the vice-commander, he took that moment to look around the place that they had found themselves in, with Sir Ian paying particular attention toward the floor of the tunnel. It would appear that the tunnel was carved out of rock – there was a mountain behind Pence Castle and he supposed that this tunnel was inside that mountain – and that the floors of the same had not been plated over with steel. That, however, was of secondary concern to the vice-commander at the moment, because his primary concern would have to be the rather thick layer of dust that was on the floor.</p>
<p>That thick layer of dust was the only thing that he needed to see in order to conclude that no one had been in this tunnel in a long, long time, otherwise, with a layer of dust that thick, there should be footprints leading from where they were at the moment, yet the only prints that he could see were obviously ones that were made by this party.</p>
<p>Sir Ian turned his attention toward two of the knights who had managed to cross the threshold with them. By the time that he had turned his attention toward them, they were also looking at him, and he took that to meant that they had been waiting for him to give them a command. At that moment, there was one that the vice-commander was willing to give.</p>
<p>“Scout this path ahead of us,” he said, “but be very careful and do not lose sight of each other.”</p>
<p>“Commander!” the words that escaped from the lips of Lady Ellie made Sir Ian turn his complete attention toward the direction of the Marchioness that he and his fellow knights are supposed to be protecting, though if he was being honest, he would have to admit that he actually did not need to see the expression on her face in order for him to know what the reason behind the protesting sound that had escaped from her lips would be.</p>
<p>“My Lady, we need to at least see what is on the other side,” Sir Ian said as he fixed his gaze upon the young woman that he was supposed to be protecting. From the expression that was on the face of Lady Ellie, it was clear that she still intended to protest, yet that expression that she was wearing told him that she also understood the reason behind the order that Sir Ian had given.</p>
<p>It was on the strength of that realization that the vice-commander turned his attention toward his subordinates a few moments later, and with a simple nod, he ordered them to proceed with complying with the order that he had given them. Even if the two of them understood that the Marchioness was not exactly aboard with the order, neither of them hesitated with complying with the order that they were given, and soon enough, the two of them were already walking deeper into the tunnel, leaving their own footprints against the thick layer of dust covering the floor of the passageway.</p>
<p>As there was not a need for him to keep his gaze focused upon his subordinates – and in any case, they would have disappeared from his field of view anyway – he returned his attention toward the direction of Lady Ellie a few moments later, even if he knew that, by doing so, he was just going to resume having to convince her to begin their trek toward where the Duke of Winnipeg had promised they could lay low for a while.</p>
<p>“My Lady,” the vice-commander said a few moments later, “We should go.”</p>
<p>The look on the face of the Marchioness of Havenstark was all that the vice-commander needed to see in order to know that there was no way that she was going to go through with that suggestion, and indeed, she actually shook her head a few moments later, forcing a sigh – though he made sure to turn his attention away from her when he did so – to escape from the lips of the vice-commander.</p>
<p>It may seem as if she was being childish with her refusal to leave just because Lady Emma was not with them, but Sir Ian understood the reason why the Marchioness was putting her foot down – and it looked as if that was quite literal – with her decision. Lady Emma, after all, is the dearest and oldest friend of Lady Ellie, and the Marchioness is not exactly unaware of what tends to happen to women who are caught by pirates.</p>
<p>Of course, that is also the reason why they had to leave as soon as possible.</p>
<p>“My Lady,” this time, it was the Countess of Madison who had spoken, “I am well aware of how close you are with the Countess of Gray Haven, and it is precisely because of that closeness that the two of you share that I am rather confident in saying that she would not want for you to be caught as well.”</p>
<p>Sir Ian could see the Marchioness of Havenstark actually glaring at the younger woman, and for a split second, the vice-commander wondered if Lady Ellie would start blaming the Countess. She would have been right – in a certain regard – as well to do that, after all, the only reason why Lady Ellie, Lady Emma, and the retinue of the Marchioness was in the planet was because of the Countess of Madison.</p>
<p>The Marchioness, however, did not say anything, and instead, she merely returned her attention toward the direction of the steel door that separated them from the Great Hall. The door was thick enough that no sounds coming from the direction of the hall could filter into this recess that they had found themselves in, but at that moment, Sir Ian was not sure if he should count that as a positive or as a negative.</p>
<p>With no sounds coming from the direction of the Great Hall, it was impossible for any of them to note if the fighting had already began, though if he were to lay odds, he would have to place his bet on the side that would have claimed that the fighting had already began, after all, he was quite certain that there was a reason why the door had been closed before Lady Emma and the others had crossed the threshold, and if he was being honest, Sir Ian would have to admit that the only reason that he could think of was because the enemy had already entered the Great Hall.</p>
<p>The reason why the person who had closed the door – and the more that he thought about it, the more that he was forced to admit that it was the Countess of Gray Haven who had somehow managed to close the door – had done what he or she had done was because the enemy orbital invasion had already reached the Great Hall, and by closing the door, the way to chase after the Marchioness had been, at the least, blocked.</p>
<p>Indeed, if they had made it in time, it was quite possible that none of the enemy combatants who had entered the Great Hall had even seen the entrance to the passageway, and that meant that they would probably waste time looking all over the castle for the Marchioness. Of course, with her ladies-in-waiting taken prisoner, it would have been obvious to the enemy that the Marchioness of Havenstark was in the castle, though that was of little concern as it seemed impossible for the enemy to not be aware of the presence of the eldest niece of the King of Crotoa.</p>
<p>As those thoughts entered the forefront of the mind of Sir Ian, he could not help but turn his thoughts to the question of the identity of the people who had attacked them. This would not be the first time that Sir Ian had been caught on the surface of a planet during a pirate attack – he is, after all, a knight, and one of the functions of a knight in the Kingdom of Crotoa is to fight against pirates – and he knew for a fact that pirates do not undertake orbital invasions if they could help it.</p>
<p>While it is true that experienced pirates are great in boarding action, it is also true that the number of pirates who could be considered as experienced in such boarding actions would be relatively few. Most just do not live long enough to gain as much experience, especially when faced against a knight who had been training to fight their kind since he was seven years old.</p>
<p>In any case, even pirates are aware of the adage that whatever gains could be made on the ground could be overturned in space, which meant that they should be aware that there was no need for them to stage an orbital invasion because if their goal was to force the local authorities to provide them with ransom and supplies, they could have done that from space. Indeed, the only reason that Sir Ian could think of as to why the pirates would have mounted an orbital invasion was so that they could take Lady Ellie hostage, and that meant that she would be the target.</p>
<p>It also meant that he had one more reason to bring the Marchioness of Havenstark as far away from the Great Hall as possible.</p>
<p>“Your Grace,” Sir Ian said a few moments later, and as he allowed those words to escape from his lips, he turned his attention toward the direction of Lady Ellie. It would appear that the worry that the Marchioness had for her friend was considerable enough that she actually ignored the fact that Sir Ian had used an honorific for her that she would rather he did not use. Still, before the Marchioness could say anything, the vice-commander added, “Sir Leo and the knights who had remained behind would defend Lady Emma and the others to the best of their ability, but I doubt that they would be able to hold out for long.”</p>
<p>“What is your point in that statement, Sir Ian?” it was not Lady Ellie who had asked the question, rather, it was Lady Ava, and if he was being honest, the vice-commander could see where the question – and the tone that the Countess had used to ask the question – had come from. The statement that just escaped from the lips of Sir Ian, after all, seemed to be providing the Marchioness with another reason to refuse to move and insist on the rescue of her friend.</p>
<p>Although it was Lady Ava who had asked the question, when Sir Ian answered the same, he made sure that he was looking toward the direction of the Marchioness, and a single moment to look at the expression that Lady Ellie was wearing at that moment proved to him that that was the correct choice, because at that moment, the expression that she had on her face told him that she was also going to ask the same question that Lady Ellie had asked.</p>
<p>“There is no reason for pirates, or for anyone, to launch an orbital invasion unless they are aiming for a specific person, and I think we can all agree that of all the people on the planet at the moment, you are the most important one,” Sir Ian said. He paused briefly in order to collect his thoughts, but the pause did not last long enough for any to say anything, though personally, he doubted that anyone would have interrupted him anyway, “As they are after you, once we have reached our destination, I am sure that we can get into contact with them and force thru a truce while we negotiate, and as part of that truce, we would require, at the least, an end to the fighting.”</p>
<p>Sir Ian turned his attention toward Lady Ava at that moment with the intention of confirming with her that they have communication equipment in the place where they are heading, but before he could even say anything in that regard, she cut him off, “I’ve never been to that place before,” she protested, “As I had said, I did not even know that there was an escape tunnel in the Great Hall until the moment that my father showed it to me.”</p>
<p>There was a brief pause before the Countess then added, “But, it would be logical to assume that there is some form of communication in the area, and in any case, His Grace said that there is small ship there, so I assume that we can at least use the radio in that thing to communicate.”</p>
<p>Sir Ian gave her a nod before he returned his attention back toward the direction of the Marchioness. He was ready to tell her that they needed to begin negotiations as soon as possible because there was no way that Sir Leo and the others would have been able to hold for long, but by the time that the vice-commander had focused his gaze back toward the young woman that he was supposed to be protecting, whatever it was that he was about to say to her did not even get the chance to escape from his lips, because at that moment, he could already see the determined expression on the face of Lady Ellie.</p>
<p>Indeed, the Marchioness did not say anything before she began to move toward the direction that would take her deeper into the tunnel. That would have been a problem because he thought that the knights that remained with them would not have moved without him ordering them, though that turned out to be the wrong assumption as a few moments later, the knights began to move as well, keeping pace with the Marchioness who had set up a pace that made it clear that she wanted to reach their destination as soon as possible.</p>
<p>Indeed, within a few moments of Sir Ian having uttered those words, he found himself practically alone with Lady Ava in front of the portal that they had gone through in order to get to this tunnel. At first, he thought that the reason why he found himself alone with the Countess of Madison was because she was also taken aback by the sudden decision of Lady Ellie to move as fast as possible toward their destination, wherever that may be, though it took less than ten seconds before he realized that the Countess of Madison had deliberately stayed behind because she wanted to ask him a question.</p>
<p>The Countess did not even bother to give him a warning that she was about to ask him, as the first indication that Sir Ian had that she wanted to ask him a question was precisely when she was already asking the question, “Did you really believe that that would be the case, Sir Ian?” she asked.</p>
<p>He could honestly say that he had no idea what she was referring to, and when he turned his attention toward her a few moments later, he was certain that she could decipher the meaning behind the expression that he was giving her because he did not have to say anything before she clarified her question, “Do you really believe that we are going to be able to negotiate with the enemy, Sir?” she asked, but then before Sir Ian could say anything, she apparently decided to expand the scope of her question because she suddenly added, “For that matter, do you really believe that we are being attacked by pirates?”</p>
<p>The vice-commander did not reply to the question, and instead, he just turned his complete gaze toward her. There was something in the way that she was looking at him that convinced him that she was keeping something from him, though at that moment, the only thing that he could think of is that, somehow, Lady Ava knew the true identity of the people who are attacking them. at the same time, however, the vice-commander told himself that that was impossible, after all, no matter how much she and her father do not see eye to eye, Sir Ian did not think that Lady Ava would have commissioned a raid on her own home, and in any case, she was correct when she asked him if he believed that they are being attacked by pirates.</p>
<p>After all, if he was being honest, Sir Ian would have to admit that she did not think that that is the case, yet at the same time, he could think of no one else who would have come at them with the force that they are now up against.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Aboard Assault Shuttle BB-234-005C, On Approach to Pence Castle, Madison City</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Serendipity, Stenlar Star System, Kingdom of Crotoa</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Vice Admiral Kevin Francis Cline</strong>
</p>
<p>He could not hear the conversation that he was sure the man behind the controls of the shuttle that they were in was having with the destroyers that were spread out all over the orbit of the planet that they are supposed to be invading, but even if that was the case, he knew that the pilot was in conversation with the destroyers, because if he was not, then those destroyers would have probably at least attempted to dissuade them from approaching the planet with their anti-aircraft weapons.</p>
<p>As that thought entered the forefront of the mind of Vice Admiral Cline, he could not help but place a smile on his face even as he thought how something like that happening would be received back at the capital. It would have been one thing for the General-Admiral, Imperial Terra Grand Fleet to have been killed on the bridge of his ship while leading his fleet, and it would be another if he were to be killed by a mistaken friendly-fire incident because one of the anti-aircraft gunners in one of the destroyers in his fleet had itchy fingers.</p>
<p>A smile actually came across the face of Vice Admiral Cline – though he doubted that his commanding officer who was standing beside him at that moment had seen it because the Chief-of-Staff was already wearing the headgear that came with the assault armor that he and Lord Alexander are wearing – as he reminded himself that if they were to be fired upon, then he would not be in this realm of existence to see the fireworks that would come after, but then again, he told himself that they – as in those who are inside the shuttle heading toward the surface of the planet – would not be the only ones who would no longer be in this plane of existence.</p>
<p>He seriously doubted that the destroyer that had fired upon the shuttle carrying the General-Admiral, Imperial Terra Grand Fleet would have even made it five minutes after confirming that they were the ones who had shot down the shuttle, and judging from the latest fleet specification reports that Vice Admiral Cline had gotten his hands on, he was quite certain that the main battery of the flagship would be enough to destroy even a Terran destroyer with one salvo, but then again, the massive broadside weight of the flagship is around forty percent the next largest battleship in the fleet.</p>
<p>Vice Admiral Cline shook his head a few moments later in an attempt to force himself to return to the present, and at the same time that he did so, he turned his attention toward the man who was standing in front of him. Like the vice admiral, his commanding officer was also wearing the standard – well, it started out its life as a standard boarding armor, though the changes in the same were mostly cosmetic, including the two diamonds on the left breast part of the armor to mark the rank of the General-Admiral – boarding armor of the Imperial Terra Navy, but unlike Vice Admiral Cline, Lord Alexander still had not put on his headgear, which meant that one could see his face even as he looked through the large windows on the side of the shuttle that they were in.</p>
<p>Although there are seats in the shuttle – the crash-worthy seats are lined up against the interior walls of the ship, facing each other with a large aisle in front – the two of them stood in the middle of the row of seats, but of course, the reason why they are standing up had more to do with the armor that they are wearing, because while the armor is light enough that they could move in it – with the help of small engines embedded in the armor itself, of course – it was still bulky enough that they could not have taken a seat in the seats even if they wanted to.</p>
<p>‘<em>I am used to this already, though,’</em> Vice Admiral Cline thought even as he fought the urge to sigh once. He turned his attention away from the visage of his commanding officer and focused it instead toward the view that the General-Admiral was looking at, and he realized that he turned his attention toward the direction of the large side windows just in time to see the shutters activating, blocking any view of the outside of the shuttle through that window.</p>
<p>It was something that happens every time a shuttle is about to enter atmosphere, and necessary in order to not compromise the heat shields of the shuttle that they were on.</p>
<p>Of course, since the high admiral had nowhere else to look at, it was but inevitable that he would turn his attention toward the direction of his subordinate, and it was for that reason that, a few moments later, Vice Admiral Cline found himself staring directly at his commanding officer.</p>
<p>“This is not the first time that we are doing this, Kevin,” Lord Alexander said with a smile on his face, “so why long face?”</p>
<p>Vice Admiral Cline actually frowned in response to that question, and the reason why he felt that he could frown is because he knew that Lord Alexander could not actually see what kind of expression it was that he was wearing on his face. After all, the chief-of-staff was already wearing his combat helmet.</p>
<p>Vice Admiral Cline parted his lips with the intention of pointing out to his commanding officer that he actually cannot see his face, but before the first sounds – which would have been picked up by the microphones inside the helmet – could escape from the lips of the vice admiral, Lord Alexander cut him off again, “Even if you are wearing that thing, I can still tell that you are frowning.”</p>
<p>Rather than reply right away, however, the chief-of-staff took a few moments to evaluate the words that have escaped from the lips of his commanding officer. If he was being honest, however, Vice Admiral Cline would have to admit that it was not surprising that his commanding officer could tell what his expression at that moment was. Indeed, he was willing to lay odds that the General-Admiral had said those first words that had broken the silence simply because he was baiting Vice Admiral Cline into making the expression that the chief-of-staff was wearing at the moment.</p>
<p>This time, however, the silence that had descended between the two of them was broken not by Lord Alexander but by Vice Admiral Cline, and a few moments later, the older of the two men said, “I still do not see why you would have to take part in ground combat when you could have just waited for the results from the bridge of the flagship.”</p>
<p>Lord Alexander was not yet wearing his combat helmet – it was lying in one of the seats on the side of the shuttle – so Vice Admiral Cline did not have a hard time seeing the smile that appeared on the face of the General-Admiral.</p>
<p>Even if Lord Alexander had smiled, however, he actually did not say anything, and this prompted Vice Admiral Cline to speak again, “In case of a surprise on the part of the adversary, I think that you should be at your commanding posts.”</p>
<p>To the surprise of Vice Admiral Cline, the General-Admiral actually nodded, “I agree,” he said. There was a brief silence as the chief-of-staff tried to finds words that he could use to confirm the words that have escaped from the lips of his commanding officer, but before he could find the proper words, he was cut off again as Lord Alexander continued, “If the adversary has a chance of playing a surprise that would take me – and my staff – off-guard, then I would have stayed at the bridge of the flagship.”</p>
<p>‘<em>In other words, the reason why you are so insistent on taking part with the ground battle is because you do not think that the adversary would have a surprise card left to play with,’</em> Vice Admiral Cline thought, though he did not say it out loud.</p>
<p>“I have absolute confidence in the intelligence that we have been given,” Lord Alexander added a few moments later, and those words that escaped from his mouth forced Vice Admiral Cline to return to the present at the same time that it forced him to return his gaze toward the direction of his commanding officer.</p>
<p>By the time that he had returned his attention toward the direction of his commanding officer, however, the General-Admiral had already begun to walk toward the direction of where he had left his helmet, and a few moments after he used his gaze to follow after the movement of Lord Alexander, he could hear his commanding officer speaking again, “and when I say I have absolute confidence in it, I mean in every aspect of it,” he turned his face toward the direction of Vice Admiral Cline, and the older man saw his commanding officer grin before he added, “even that rather convoluted part about ‘political considerations’ and such.”</p>
<p>Once more, Vice Admiral Cline found himself having to depend upon the fact that he was wearing his helmet in order to hide the grin that appeared on his face in response to the words that have escaped from the lips of his commanding officer. Those words may have told anyone who was listening in on them at that moment that the General-Admiral would rather not deal with politics, but since he had been serving with him for a long time, Vice Admiral Cline could honestly say that he is one of the few men who knew the General-Admiral well enough to know what his view about being involved in politics really would be.</p>
<p>In any case, even if the General-Admiral would rather not deal with politics, it was not something that he could skive up on, considering that he is involved in the politics of the Holy Empire, literally, even before he was born, as the eldest grandson of the reigning Empress of the Holy Empire.</p>
<p>To the General-Admiral – though at that moment, notwithstanding his rules, perhaps referring to him as the Duke of Olympia would have been more appropriate – knowing about politics and moving in the political circles of Terra – even when he is out here at the front – is essential.</p>
<p>A few moments later, Vice Admiral Cline shook his head at the same time that he forced himself to stop thinking about politics and focus on the matters at hand. To do that, he reminded himself that he had also read the same intelligence reports that Lord Alexander had read – and he had also read the political considerations section, of course – so he knew what the General-Admiral was talking about.</p>
<p>The Kingdom of Crotoa – or at least, those who are closest to their capital – had become so enamored with peace that one of the major topics that came up during the opening of their parliamentary session earlier this year would be the question of whether or not to continue maintaining a standing fleet large enough to cover all of the planets with a substantial force.</p>
<p>Vice Admiral Cline could honestly say that he could see the argument of those who are in favor of that proposal, after all, the inner systems – those closest to the capital – have not seen a pirate raid in more than one generation, and so long as the proper waypoints leading to those systems are guarded, the Kingdom could move the fleets that they intend to retain to block major incursions by pirates into those systems.</p>
<p>As for the smaller pirate bands, the local constabulary should be more than enough to handle them, and, in any case, the local constabulary force had been the one handling those pirates already. As for the reason why that is the case, it would have to be because of the impending successional crisis, with the three sons of the current reigning king about to go for the throat of his brother. None of them wanted the other two to have a powerful military force that they could freely move, so they decided to tie their hands together with that proposal in their parliament.</p>
<p>In other words, the Kingdom of Crotoa has no force that they could send as reinforcements to help their beleaguered comrades in Serendipity, and that was even if they are aware of what is happening at the moment. In any case, even if they are aware of what is happening and even if they have a force that they could move, they probably still would not have moved, because the other two princes – the ones who do not control the force that would be moved – would surely complain about it.</p>
<p>‘<em>Should we classify that as being caught between a rock and a hard place?’</em> he asked himself.</p>
<p>Once more, however, before he could say anything, he was distracted by the actions of the General-Admiral, even if this time, the actions of Lord Alexander was clearly not intended to distract Vice Admiral Cline, because the only thing that the General-Admiral did was to actually draw his sword from the scabbard so that he could check the same.</p>
<p>Of course, the fact that he is checking his sword meant that he intended to use the weapon in the near future and judging from the fact that they are approaching the castle that is the home of the ruling lord of this planet, it was rather obvious that Lord Alexander intends to take part in the actual ground combat.</p>
<p>A part of Vice Admiral Cline told him that this was something that he should have already expected, but even if that was the case, he would be remiss in his duties if he were not to remind his commanding officer of <em>his </em>duties.</p>
<p>“It would not be appropriate for a fleet commander to take part in hand-to-hand combat on the surface of a planet, Admiral,” Vice Admiral Cline said, and as he had expected, the words that he had uttered baited Lord Alexander, because the General-Admiral turned his attention toward his subordinate with an expression on his face that clearly told Vice Admiral Cline that he was about to say something.</p>
<p>Of course, before Lord Alexander could say anything, Vice Admiral Cline cut him off again as he said, “Heading down to the planet yourself is already inappropriate.”</p>
<p>The smile on the face of Lord Alexander was the only thing that Vice Admiral Cline needed to see in order to realize that he had made a mistake when he pointed that out to him, though that did not stop the General-Admiral from saying something about it, “Exactly,” he said.</p>
<p>There was another brief pause before Vice Admiral Cline just shook his head. That was the only action that he was willing to take in order to mark the fact that he accepted his defeat and cannot do anything to convince his commanding officer not to take part in the coming battle, though if he was being honest, he would have to admit that it was not as if he thought that he could convince him anyway.</p>
<p>“Cheer up, Kevin,” Lord Alexander suddenly said, forcing the Vice Admiral to once more turn his gaze toward his commanding officer. Of course, the chief-of-staff was still wearing his headgear that should have made it impossible for the General-Admiral to see the expression that he was wearing, but even if that was the case, it was rather obvious that Lord Alexander knew that his chief-of-staff had a frown on his face at that moment.</p>
<p>Vice Admiral Cline parted his lips to say something, but before he could actually speak, he was cut off again, “This would be the last time that I would be taking part in a hand-to-hand engagement,” he said. This made Vice Admiral Cline focus his gaze upon the face of his commander, and much to the surprise of the chief-of-staff, the expression that Lord Alexander was wearing at that moment told him that he was being serious when he said that, “From this point on, we would be winning our battles in space rather than on the surface of a planet, so this may very well be the last time that we are doing an orbital invasion.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Mallowhall Apartments, Central Castle, Crystal Palace Complex, Avalon</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Terra, Sol Star System, Holy Empire of Terra</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Sir John Peter Bennington</strong>
</p>
<p>It was hard to concentrate his attention upon the direction of one of the many doors in the room that he had found himself in, but even if that was the case, the brown-haired man forced himself to keep his attention focused upon the same.</p>
<p>There are a lot of things inside the room that would have stolen the attention of anyone who would have entered, and that was true even for someone like Sir John Peter Bennington, but because he knew of the importance of the person that had asked for his presence in this very room, he decided to keep his attention focused on the one door that he knew she would be using in order to enter the room.</p>
<p>Still, even as those thoughts entered the forefront of the mind of the Chief Cabinet Secretary of the Holy Empire of Terra, he had to acknowledge that there are a lot of things in this room that would have made him stare at it, after all, this is the apartment that, just under a month ago, was shared by the two most powerful people in the Holy Empire of Terra and, by default therefore, the two most powerful people in the history of the human race. They were also married, though that partnership had ended just under a month ago when she launched the body of her husband on his final journey toward the star at the center of the Sol Star System.</p>
<p>Sir John shook his head at that moment, and he did not bother to be subtle about it, even if he knew that, at that moment, there are probably half a dozen cameras – and more likely than not, half a dozen business end of rifles – pointed toward him, taking note of everything that he was doing at that moment.</p>
<p>It was a security measure that was befitting the most powerful person in the Holy Empire of Terra, after all, the person whom Sir John had been informed had asked for him is the woman who seats – figuratively speaking, as she had never actually sat on that seat, even after the death of her husband – on the Golden Throne of the Holy Empire of Terra. In other words, the person that the Chief Cabinet Secretary was supposed to meet today was none other than the Empress of the Holy Empire of Terra.</p>
<p>Despite her earlier promise to himself that he would not turn his attention away from the door that he knew the Empress would use – it was, after all, the only door in this foyer-like room that leads deeper into the apartment – Sir John could not actually keep his attention focused toward  that direction for long, and after a few moments, he finally let out a sigh – though this time, he was more subtle about it, as he did not want to appear as if he was getting impatient to the guards that he knew are watching him at that moment – before he finally allowed himself to look around the foyer.</p>
<p>This was hardly his first time here, and in the more than eighty years – almost thirty of that as Chief Cabinet Secretary, though it was not an uninterrupted tenure – that he had served the Imperial Family, he could honestly say that he had lost count of the number of times that he had been called to this particular room. It was precisely his familiarity with this room brought about by having been called here numerous times in the past that allowed him to notice that there had been changes in the room.</p>
<p>Some of those changes are rather subtle, but then, most of the changes that he could see are not something that Sir John would have labelled as subtle.</p>
<p>There are very few rooms in the Holy Empire where the Imperial Purple is allowed to be the most dominant color, and this room used to be one of them. The fact that this room is the one that actually used that color the most in the past served only to highlight the most obvious change in the décor of the place, because almost all of the fixing and furniture in the room had been changed from Imperial purple to black, and there is something about the presentation of these fixtures and furniture that told Sir John that these changes are more or less permanent.</p>
<p>‘<em>Or at least, until someone new ascends to the Golden Throne,’</em> he thought.</p>
<p>There are also changes in the pictures hanging from the walls, but that would most likely be more the result of the fact that the Empress would not see much value in having portraits of the galactic plane that could function as maps in the off-chance that one is needed. Instead of those maps, Sir John could see that portraits of the family had taken up most of the space in the walls, and indeed, the biggest portrait in the foyer – having taken over from a rather giant map of the entirety of the universe, complete with the flags of the sovereign states occupying those parts of the universe – was that of the entire Royal Family, with the Emperor and the Empress in the center.</p>
<p>As he turned his attention toward that rather large portrait, the Chief Cabinet Secretary cannot help but remark to himself how many of the sons and grandsons – women are not allowed to serve in the armed forces, after all, though some do find exemptions – of the Empress were wearing military uniforms on the portrait, but if he was being honest, Sir John would have to admit that it was not those who are wearing the uniform of the Imperial Fleet that he turned his attention to, rather, he was focusing more on the grandsons – because all of the sons are wearing their military uniform, even if, judging from the appearance of the youngest grandchildren, half of the sons have retired from the service when this portrait was taken – who are not wearing the uniform.</p>
<p>In a nation where martial prowess usually defines the chances of a son in inheriting not only the Duchy of his father, but even his claim to the Golden Throne, it is rather difficult to justify the fact that a male grandson of the Empress had not earned the right to wear a uniform. It is made even more difficult to justify when, of the eight granddaughters of the Empress – the remaining ten are all grandsons – only one had not managed to find a way to serve in the front, even if it is not in an official capacity.</p>
<p>Indeed, as he turned to look at the picture again, Sir John could not help but notice that one of the granddaughters of the Empress had actually decided to wear a uniform for this portrait, albeit the uniform that she was wearing was one that marked her as a member of the Imperial Medical Corps which, technically, is not part of the Imperial Armed Forces, even if the members of the Corps are usually sent to the front as well.</p>
<p>Any further musings on the part of Sir John was disturbed a few moments later by the sound of a door opening, and he turned his attention back toward the direction of the door that would have led deeper into the apartments of the Empress. He hoped that she would not have realized that he had been looking around, yet at the same time that that thought entered the forefront of his mind, the Chief Cabinet Secretary told himself that there are people who had been watching him, thus, it was practically impossible for them to not have noticed that he was looking around.</p>
<p>If he was being honest, Sir John would have to admit that he was expecting – probably even hoping – that it would be the Empress who would be at the other side of the door, but at the same time, he also would have to admit that when he saw who was actually at the other side of the door, he cannot say that he had not expected it, after all, the Empress was probably still in mourning.</p>
<p>“Sir John,” the voice of Lady Rachel Anne Wolford, Countess of Lagos, did not actually bring Sir John out of his reverie because he was out of his reverie the moment that he had heard her open the door to the foyer, but nevertheless, hearing the voice of the chief lady-in-waiting to the Empress of the Holy Empire of Terra had an effect on the chief cabinet secretary, and a smile appeared on his face a few moments later.</p>
<p>“Lady Rachel,” he replied at the same time that he politely inclined his head toward her direction, and he was happy to see that she returned the greeting. It was actually the way that the two of them had greeted each other since the moment that they had become friends, and that had been a long time ago, because while the Countess of Lagos looked as if she is only thirty, she is actually older than that. Indeed, the Countess is actually just twenty years younger than Sir John, but with the advance medical technologies of the Holy Empire, it is quite hard to judge the age of a person from appearance alone.</p>
<p>“Her Majesty sends her regards as well as her apologies for not being able to greet you directly, Sir John,” Lady Rachel said, and when Sir John acknowledged the statement with a polite nod, she continued, “But Her Majesty had asked me to come here instead.”</p>
<p>A smile appeared on the face of the chief cabinet secretary at that moment, not only because it would appear that the Empress is well aware of the soft spot that he has for Lady Rachel, but also because of the fact that it was obvious that the chief lady-in-waiting was not going to make an excuse for the Empress. Then again, that was as the chief cabinet secretary had expected.</p>
<p>He was forced out of his reverie a few moments later as he watched Lady Rachel place one of her hands on the front pocket of the skirt that she was wearing, and without saying anything, she pulled out an envelope from the same, causing the eyes of Sir John to widen, though he was able to keep them from widening even more as she passed on the envelope to him.</p>
<p>The chief cabinet secretary took the envelope without words, and while he would have preferred to ask the chief lady-in-waiting of the Empress what was written on the letter that was surely inside the envelope, there was something on the face of Lady Rachel that told him that she would prefer it if he were to read the message that was surely from the Empress first. The attitude of the Countess of Lagos was the only thing that Sir John needed to see in order to conclude that she knew exactly what was written on the letter that she had just handed him.</p>
<p>It was for that reason that Sir John focused his attention upon the envelope that he was ow holding, and a few moments later, he opened the same to retrieve the letter that was inside. He only had to look at the handwriting once in order to identify the author of the letter, though perhaps he was not being fair in that regard because it was rather obvious that it was the Empress who had written the letter.</p>
<p>While the chief cabinet secretary had been able to stop his eyes from widening a while ago, he was not actually able to do that again as he silently read the letter that the Empress had written. The contents of the letter took him by surprise so much that he actually read the letter gain after he had read it just to make sure that he was not imaging the words that the Empress had written.</p>
<p>If he was being honest, the chief cabinet secretary would have to admit that he contemplated reading the letter a third time in order to be truly sure, but then he shook his head and instead, he returned his gaze toward the direction of Lady Rachel.</p>
<p>“I presume that you know what is written here?” he asked as soon as he was sure that she was looking at him, and even as that question escaped from his lips, Sir John would have to admit that he was not being fair to the chief lady-in-waiting, after all, it was rather obvious that the answer would be in the affirmative.</p>
<p>“Yes,” the Countess replied rather easily. For a brief moment there was silence between the two of them, but it was the Countess who had broken that silence as well, and she did so a few moments after she had finished speaking as she added, “Her Majesty had said that you would be worried about it as well.”</p>
<p>This time, the silence that descended between the two of them was one that was clearly meant to be broken by the chief cabinet secretary, but even if he had figured out that that was going to be the case, he actually did not part his lips until a few moments later as he said, “Her Majesty is correct in that assessment,” he paused at the same time that he turned his attention back toward the direction of the portrait of the Royal Family, and in particular, upon the only grandson of the Empress who was not wearing a military uniform before he allowed a sigh to escape from his lips.</p>
<p>“I do not believe that it would be a problem crafting the orders,” he suddenly said, and as those words escaped from his lips, he kept his gaze focused upon the direction of the portrait in front of him and the younger – and only surviving – son of the Crown Prince as the young man appears on the portrait. He is the only one of the grandsons of the Empress, after all, who is not in a uniform, and Sir John knew for a fact that it was not because the Prince of Redmure was uncomfortable in a uniform.</p>
<p>Indeed, the chief cabinet secretary could remember one of the antics of the Prince of Redmure from before, with the young man demanding that he be authorized to wear the uniform of an admiral in the Imperial Fleet, but in that rather selfish – and stupid – request, not even his mother, the Crown Princess, was willing to listen to him.</p>
<p>‘<em>And she often gives him whatever the hell he wants,’</em> Sir John thought, though he supposed that he could not blame the woman, after all, she had already lost her eldest son to a freak accident, and perhaps by spoiling the younger one, she hoped to prevent such a tragedy from happening again.</p>
<p>“The Duke of Olympia would also not be a problem,” the voice of Lady Rachel made Sir John turn his attention toward her direction, and as he fixed his gaze upon her visage, he could see the smile that formed on her face. That was the only thing that he needed to see – well, coupled with the words that had escaped from her mouth, of course – in order to know that she had said those words purely because she knew that those thoughts were exactly what was going on in the mind of the chief cabinet secretary.</p>
<p>He actually returned the smile a few moments later before he inclined his head toward her direction, “Quite,” he said.</p>
<p>Sir John would have added something to the words that had escaped from his lips at that moment, but before he could actually do so, Lady Rachel cut him off, “The only problem is the Prince of Redmure,” she said. The sigh that escaped from her lips a few moments later was evidently a theatrical one, but even if that was the case, Sir John did not call her out on it, especially since it was obvious that she was not yet done speaking, “You are worried that he would not take an order sending him to the theater of operations of his greatest rival well.”</p>
<p>There was no need for the chief cabinet secretary to actually reply to the words that Lady Rachel had just said, and indeed, instead of actually replying, Sir John instead took that few moments in order to not only silently agree with the words that had escaped from the lips of the chief lady-in-waiting, but also to think to himself that while the Prince of Redmure sees the Duke of Olympia as his rival – it was rather easy to come to that conclusion – it was also true that the only son of the second son of the Empress does not even rate the Prince of Redmure enough to see him even as a minor annoyance – and again, that was rather obvious for everyone to see.</p>
<p>Sir John returned to the present with the intention of point out to the chief lady-in-waiting that that was exactly what he was worried about, but the words that were supposed to come out of his mouth at that moment were cut off, and it was not because of anything that Lady Rachel had said, rather, it was because of the smile that the Countess of Lagos was wearing on her pretty face.</p>
<p>That smile on the face of the Countess of Lagos told Sir John that she was absolutely confident in what she was about to say, and he did not have to wait long before she actually parted her lips to say something, “The Prince of Redmure would do as he is told,” she assured him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Great Hall, Pence Castle, Madison City</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Serendipity, Stenlar Star System, Kingdom of Crotoa</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Lady Emma Charlotte Watts</strong>
</p>
<p>“Your Grace,” the words escaped from the lips of Lady Emma when she was only two feet away from the man that she addressed that horrific toward, and perhaps it was a testament to how busy the man that she wanted to speak to that when he turned his attention toward her in an obvious reaction to her calling for his attention, there was a surprised expression on his face.</p>
<p>That expression that was on the face of the Duke of Winnipeg would be the only thing that Lady Emma needed to see in order to know that he was not even aware of her presence in the Great Hall, and it was obvious that he was so surprised by her continued presence in the Great Hall that he actually said nothing in response to the honorific that Lady Emma had used to call for his attention.</p>
<p>Of course, the fact that the Duke of Winnipeg could not say anything was something that the Countess of Gray Haven was more than happy to take advantage of, and because she knew that the Duke would not be able to say anything for the next few moments, she turned her gaze toward the direction of the frontline. It was, as she noted a few moments later, a literal frontline.</p>
<p>The remaining members of the personal guard of the Duke of Winnipeg had joined forces with the remaining members of the Knight-Order of Eurus under the command of Knight-General Clancy in forming a rough line that was centered around the throne that the Duke would probably have sat on when he held court, while in front of that rough circular line that they had formed, Lady Emma could see that the unknown invaders had also formed their line, and like the defenders, they have their swords drawn. What confused Lady Emma the most, however, would be the fact that even though it was clear that they hold the advantage, they are yet to launch their attack.</p>
<p>“My Lady,” the voice of the Duke of Winnipeg forced the Countess out of the reverie that she had fallen into, and she turned her attention toward the direction of Lord Ryan at the same time that she placed a questioning expression on her face. Before the Countess could say anything, however, the Duke cut her off, “What are you still doing here?”</p>
<p>There was not even the slightest trace of condemnation in the question that the Duke had asked, and that was all that Lady Emma needed in order to conclude that even if the Duke of Winnipeg had asked that question, he most likely already had his suspicions as to what the answer of Lady Emma would be.</p>
<p>Instead of answering the question, the Countess turned her attention toward the direction of the passageway that her oldest and dearest friend had passed through, and she actually allowed a sigh to escape from her lips before she schooled her features so that there was smile on her visage a few moments later. After making sure that the smile was on her face, the Countess turned her attention back toward the direction of the Duke of Winnipeg.</p>
<p>“I doubt that you would want to reopen that passageway,” she said at the same time that she kept the smile on her face. She paused for a few moments, though it was not a long enough pause that the Duke felt that he had a chance to interrupt, and indeed, the Duke did not say anything, allowing the Countess to continue, “Even if you could have that opened again.”</p>
<p>The ironic smile on the face of the Duke of Winnipeg told Lady Emma that she was correct in concluding that there was no way to reopen the passageway. It was, after all, an escape tunnel for members of a ducal family, which meant that the purpose of the same would have been defeated if the people who had forced them to use the tunnel in the first place could access the escape tunnel. Thus, it made more sense that the tunnel could only be opened once, and the moment that it was closed, it would be impossible to open the same again, either from inside or outside the tunnel, at least, through conventional means.</p>
<p>“They arrived just as I was about to cross into the tunnel,” Lady Emma said a few moments later, “and I decided that it is better to close the tunnel rather than let them glimpse it.”</p>
<p>What was left unsaid – though she is certain that the Duke understood it – was that the reason why the Countess made that decision was to ensure that the Marchioness and those who had managed to cross into the tunnel would have a better head-start to reach wherever it is that they are supposed to head.</p>
<p>Lady Emma turned her attention back toward the face of Lord Ryan at the same time that the Duke turned his attention away from the now blocked entrance to the emergency tunnel, but rather than fix his gaze upon the Countess of Gray Haven, he instead turned his attention toward the direction where two other ladies-in-waiting of Lady Ellie had found themselves on the wrong side of the portal.</p>
<p>This prompted the Countess to turn her attention toward that direction as well, and when she saw her two fellow ladies-in-waiting cowering near the base of the raised platform where the ducal throne was located, he actually had to sigh, but before she could say anything, Lady Emma reminded herself that the reaction of the two other ladies-in-waiting was typical. It was actually her reaction – because she was not cowering – that was unusual for a lady-in-waiting.</p>
<p>Then again, Lady Emma is the eldest daughter of a Ducal household that is one of the few in the Kingdom that have been training knights since the founding of the Kingdom of Crotoa, and in her youth, she had – though she would never admit it – hoped that she would make history by being the first female knight in the history of the Kingdom of Crotoa.</p>
<p>A smile actually came across the face of Lady Emma at that moment even as she reminded herself that, obviously, that had not happened, though at the same time, her determination to follow through with that dream had allowed her to make the acquaintance of not only the vice-commander of the contingent sent to protect Lady Ellie, but also the man who, just a few hours ago, had knelt in front of her and had asked for her hand in marriage.</p>
<p>As her thoughts turned toward the man who would become her husband, Lady Emma pointedly cleared her throat at the same time that she returned her gaze toward the direction of Lord Ryan. The reason why she had pointedly cleared her throat was so that he would turn his attention toward her, and she was happy to see that that was exactly what had happened.</p>
<p>“My Lady?” the Duke of Winnipeg asked at the same time that he placed a questioning expression on his face.</p>
<p>There was a part of Lady Emma that was actually embarrassed at that moment, after all, she had allowed a man who was supposed to be her social superior to be the one to ask a question first when she was supposed to be the one to speak first. Indeed, the fact that she was the one who had made him look at her direction – and by a gesture that some would have considered rude at that – was already something that she realized she should be embarrassed about. Nevertheless, the Countess of Gray Haven chased those thoughts away as she politely inclined her head toward the direction of the unknown knights who are in front of them.</p>
<p>“I do not understand why they are not attacking yet,” she said.</p>
<p>If she was being honest, the Countess would have to admit that she already knew what the answer of the Duke would be even before he had parted his lips, after all, it was written all over his face. It was for that reason that she was not the least bit surprised when, a few moments later, she heard his answer to a question that was not even phased as a question when she had asked the same.</p>
<p>“They might be waiting for someone, or perhaps they are hoping that we would begin negotiations ourselves,” the Duke said. She watched as he glanced toward the direction of the unknown armored figures, and that prompted the Countess to turn her attention toward that direction as well.</p>
<p>Lady Emma was not sure what she was expecting to see from the ranks of the adversary when she turned her attention toward their direction, but she was sure of one thing. None of them had moved from the position that they had been when she last turned her attention toward them, indeed, it may be more apt to consider all of the hostile armored figures in the Great Hall at that moment to have turned to statues.</p>
<p>‘<em>If only that would be the case,’</em> she thought at the same time that she turned her attention back toward Lord Ryan.</p>
<p>By the time that she had returned her attention toward the Duke of Winnipeg, however, she could see that he had also turned his gaze back toward her, and the expression on the face of the man told her what it was that he was about to say before he could actually push the words out of his mouth. Naturally, it meant that the Countess of Gray Haven was not the least bit surprised when, a few moments later, the Duke politely inclined his head toward her.</p>
<p>“I would ask that you excuse me, my Lady,” he said.</p>
<p>Lady Emma did not reply but she did give him a polite nod before she smiled at him, and she kept her gaze at him just until she had turned her back toward him as a sign of respect. As soon as he had his back turned toward Lady Emma, however, the Countess also turned her back, and soon, she found herself walking toward the direction where she had come from.</p>
<p>She did not, however, rejoin her fellow ladies-in-waiting, rather, she made her way toward where a dozen knights wearing the armor of the Knight-Order of Eurus had gathered. It was obvious that they are some form of reserve because they are not occupying positions in the make-shift defense line that the other knights had formed, but the fact that they are part of the reserve force is not actually the reason why the Countess had made her way toward them.</p>
<p>No, the reason that she joined this particular group of knights was because the man that she was going to marry someday was part of them, and indeed, when Sir Leo saw that she was approaching him, he actually stood from where he was seated. As he is part of the reserved group – and because they are not yet under attack – he had not put on his headgear, but if she was being honest, Lady Emma would have to admit that she would have been able to tell that it was him even if he was wearing his headgear, after all, he had a handkerchief tied around his left forearm, and it was a piece of cloth that Lady Emma recognized well.</p>
<p>Considering that she was the one who had given it to him, it would have been more surprising if she would not have been able to recognize it.</p>
<p>The smile was already on the face of Lady Emma before she even realized it, but then again, she could say the same for the man in front of her.</p>
<p>“Hey,” he said as he approached her and with boyish grin of his that he realized that she loved almost as much as she loved him. At that moment, he does not even look like he is a knight, and indeed, if one were to remove the armor that she was wearing, then they would have been forgiven for not realizing that this is a man who had spent more than twenty years of his life training to be a knight. Right now, they would probably have thought that he is a university student of sorts.</p>
<p>“It goes without saying that I would have preferred it if you had crossed into the escape tunnel,” Sir Leo said a few moments later, and indeed, when the Countess turned her attention toward the face of the knight, she could see the frown that was on his face. Even that, though, was something that attracted her to him, even if she would admit that she would have preferred the smile.</p>
<p>Rather than respond to what he had said, however, she kept her silence though she did place a smile on her face to silently tell him that she actually agreed with what he had just said. Of course, even if that would be the case, it was not as if there is anything either of them could have done at that moment, after all, the door is already closed.</p>
<p>“Some first day of engagement this turned out to be, right?” Lady Emma asked a few moments later, and as those words escaped from her mouth, she widened the smile that she was wearing on her face. Naturally, Sir Leo returned the smile and he actually shook his head in amusement a few moments later.</p>
<p>He was about to say something, but at that moment, they were distracted by movement coming from the direction of their adversaries, and the two of them could not help but turn their attention toward that direction. The two of them managed to turn their attention toward that direction just in time to watch as the formation in front of them altered slightly, though even if that was the case, it does not appear that they are going to attack and, indeed, Lady Emma and the others stared at their direction for close to a minute before they turned their attention back toward each other.</p>
<p>She could see the confused expression on the face of her fiancé, and without even turning to look at the expression of the other knights who are with them at that moment, she could tell that they are also confused. Of course, try as they might to come up with an answer to the confusion that they are feeling at that moment, it would actually be impossible.</p>
<p>By the time that Lady Emma had realized it, both the Duke of Winnipeg and the Knight-General had joined them, and as she turned her attention toward them, she saw the expression that was written on the face of the two men, though if she was being honest, as it was the same as the expression that the others are wearing, she was not the least bit surprised to see them wearing that expression.</p>
<p>Indeed, the look that Knight-General Clancy had on his face told her that he was openly wondering what was happening, and he probably would have said something to that regard if not for the fact that at the same time that he parted his lips, he was cut off by one of his subordinates. That subordinate just turned out to be Sir Leo.</p>
<p>“Are they just going to form parade formations in front of us?” he asked, and everyone around him at that moment could tell that he said those words with no small amount of contempt toward the direction of their adversaries.</p>
<p>The fact that they – that is, those who are on the other side of this frontline – had not moved told her that the words that had escaped from the lips of her fiancé had not been heard by the others, but then again, that was to be expected given the distances involved.</p>
<p>“Actually,” a voice from the direction across the frontline forced Lady Emma – and the others – to turn their attention toward the direction where the voice came from. She turned her attention toward that direction just in time to see the armored figures in front of them move to the side, forming an aisle, and through the aisle that they had formed, she could see two men walking through.</p>
<p>One of the men that was walking had his own headgear on which prevented her from seeing his face, but it was actually the other one that the Countess found her attention focused upon, after all, there was something familiar about the man, and it was also rather obvious that he was the one who had said that word that made Lady Emma turn her attention toward their direction.</p>
<p>The eyes of the Countess widened a few moments later as she finally remembered where she had seen this man before, because while he is wearing a combat armor rather than the double-breasted suit that he was wearing the night that she had first met him, it was obvious that he is the one who had told her that the next time that they meet, he would make her his.</p>
<p>‘<em>Is this?’</em> she began to think, though before she could finish that thought, she was cut off by the man speaking again.</p>
<p>“They are just waiting for our arrival,” the man said, and as he turned his attention toward them – no doubt so that he could look at Sir Leo, who was the one who had been the last to speak – she saw his eyes focus upon her, and the smile on his face widened.  </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Duke Ryan meets with the leader of their mysterious attackers<br/>Lady Ellie and her party arrives at the secret escape facility<br/>Lord Alexander makes his intentions in regards to Lady Emma known<br/>Rear Admiral Ashford arrives to find his commanding officer playing with a knight from the Kingdom of Crotoa</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>FIVE</strong>
</p>
<p>In the year 2122, a man who is considered by his contemporaries as an eccentric closed the door of his privately built spacecraft in the middle of the Sahara Desert while being watched by a few members of the media and the few friends who had managed to tolerate his eccentricity. Perhaps there was one or maybe two among the gathered audience who had believed that the objective of the day would be accomplished, but it is generally accepted that almost everyone present had thought that by closing that door, our protagonist was committing suicide in front of the whole world in order to prove his theories.</p>
<p>Perhaps there were even among those watching in person who had placed bets among themselves as to how badly the test would fail, and indeed, there may even be those who had placed money on the odds of not only would the test fail, but that the craft would explode and kill the single person inside the same.</p>
<p>Of course, we know that the experiment did not fail, just as we know that, on June 27, 2122, is the first time in the history of the human race that a human – widely acknowledged even by humanity itself as one that cannot live outside the biosphere of their mother planet – had achieved faster-than-light speed. The warp-drive installed in the <em>Restless Endeavor</em> by its pilot and creator Joseph Salazar is one that we would consider as inefficient today, but it does not change the fact that it was the first time that a human had achieved faster-than-light speed.</p>
<p>The period immediately following after the successful development of the warp-drive would later be immortalized in human history as the <span class="u">Age of Warp. </span></p>
<p>Research and further developments of the warp-drive continued after that first successful warp, but it barely took a hundred years before the realization that warp-drive would not be able to allow us to escape the gravitational pull of our sun became widely accepted. Rather than let that be a detriment to the further development of our space-travel technologies, however, the scientists who had lived during that time took that as an incentive to develop the necessary technology to allow travel interstellar space.</p>
<p>Thus, in August 10, 2245, the <em>Endless Argo</em>, with its crew of seventy scientists and engineers under the leadership of Bernard Shawn Lee, came out of the warp-space that they had created beside Neptune. The journey was, by that time, routine, but what happened after was hardly routine as Lee and his bridge crew began to power-up a new experimental drive just minutes after they had materialized beside the planet.</p>
<p>There are perhaps a thousand books written and a hundred movies made in regards to the journey of the <em>Endless Argo</em> through the void of interstellar space that it seems inappropriate to actually narrate the events that had happened aboard the relatively small ship during its two-day journey to Alpha Centauri. Suffice to say, the fact that Lee had not actually been forthcoming to some members of his crew as to the real reason for the journey was not something that endeared him to them.</p>
<p>Indeed, the secrecy of the journey undertaken by Lee and the <em>Endless Argo</em> was so complete that not even his employers knew what was going on, and the disappearance of the ship created so much confusion back in Sol that during the days that the ship was missing, the two largest nations on the surface of Sol – the North Atlantic Confederation and the Republic of East Asia and Europe – accused each other of sabotaging the ship, and tensions between the two had risen to a high that had never been seen since the end of the Second Cold War between the precursor nations of those two nations.</p>
<p>Perhaps an argument could be made that the achievements of Lee and the <em>Endless Argo</em> was enough compensation for the tensions that his disappearance had created, after all, that single unauthorized journey conducted by that ship and its maverick leader had proven to humanity that it is possible to travel through the dark void of space separating one star system from another within the lifetime of a person, indeed, within such timeframes that was far quicker than crossing the Atlantic Ocean during the Age of Exploration.</p>
<p>Truly, it was the <span class="u">New Age of Exploration</span>.</p>
<p>With the advent of hyper-drives and hyper-space travel, it was not long before great swathes of humanity had begun to leave the planet, looking for new worlds to colonize among the myriad of stellar systems located in our galaxy, and that was inevitably followed by Terra, the birthplace of humanity itself, becoming but one of the multitudes of planets hosting the new masters of this universe.</p>
<p>Even if Terra is no longer the center of the human race, however, for a few hundred years after the opening of this frontier, Terra supported the building of colonies through the sovereign nations that remained on the surface of the same. It was thus a matter of course that these colonies would continue to fly the flags of the nations that had sent and supported them, and they would continue to owe their loyalty to those nations on the surface of Terra.</p>
<p>For a while, it was hoped that the new frontiers opened to humanity would foster everlasting peace in Terra, but as the distances grew longer and the authority of central governments over their own colonies began to diminish, it was inevitable that conflict would fester. Far away colonies and their leaders – most of whom were born, raised, and had reached adulthood in those planets without even once visiting Terra itself – began to conspire among themselves, planning not only to overthrow the control of their mother nations, but also to establish their own hegemony.</p>
<p>As this was happening, the rival nations of Terra, seeking to establish relationship between themselves and the would-be revolutionaries, interfered with promises of support, recognition, and even outright integration into their existing systems, though perhaps the latter was not one that these would-be revolutionaries would have wanted for themselves.</p>
<p>For the next few decades, as humanity expanded into the known and reachable universe, such machinations remain, with players playing against each other in the ultimate game of statesmanship and revolution. Indeed, when it became clear in 2355 that it was impossible for the current technology that humanity possess to travel outside of our universe, the problem was not met with the same attitude that humanity had when it became clear that warp-drive could not bring humans to the next star system.</p>
<p>Perhaps it was because there was a subconscious – or perhaps even conscious – realization that in the midst of plenty, there is no more need for humanity to expand past the barriers of the universe that they had found themselves the master of. Why travel beyond the confines of the universe known when said universe already holds a thousand star systems and tens of thousands of planets, even if only a fraction of those planets are actually habitable? In the midst of all green provided by this pasture which no human could ever explore in one lifetime, why travel to the next pasture?</p>
<p>Instead of a Bernard Shaw Lee and his <em>Endless Argo</em>, humanity had to contend with other incidents that served as canaries to show the rapidly deteriorating situation.</p>
<p>This period of time would later be immortalized in human history as the <span class="u">Age of Troubles</span>.</p>
<p>The first revolution occurred in the planet Caprica in 2622. Caprica is a colony of the United Federation of the Amazon, a rival nation to the North Atlantic Confederation and the Republic of East Asia and Europe. Although it cannot be said with certainty what kind of promises were given to the revolutionaries, it can be said with certainty that promises of support were given to the revolutionaries, and acting upon such information, the United Federation executed a direct and overt act intended to show to their rivals that they would not tolerate any interference on their part.</p>
<p>It was just rather unfortunate that the method that they had chosen to use in order to mark their protest against the interference of both nations happen to be firing an anti-satellite missile aimed at what was supposed to be a communications satellite of the North Atlantic Confederation. It turned out, however, that it was not a communications satellite, but was an orbital weapons platform equipped with nine orbit-to-surface nuclear weapons, all of which detonated in orbit when the satellite was destroyed, raining down radioactive material all over the planet, including the capital of the United Federation, Brasilia.</p>
<p>While the radioactivity of the debris falling from space was not the most immediate concern following the detonation – as the people were more concerned about the falling debris itself – it would turn out that such radioactivity would be the downfall of all sovereign nations in existence during the time of the detonation.</p>
<p>Unlike during the time when humans are limited to only one planet, the humans of the twenty seventh century have the choice of leaving Terra, and in the end, that was the decision that most would take. With people leaving the mother planet in droves, it was not long before the population of Terra plummet to just under one billion people, and of those one billion, an estimate half would lose their lives over the course of the next two decades as Terra tried to recover from the destruction wrought about by just one mistaken push of a button, because as it would later turn out, the United Federation knew about the nature of the satellite that they had shot down, and had indeed been aiming for another satellite.</p>
<p>Somehow, during the transmission of orders, a wrong button had been pressed, altering the course of the anti-satellite missile that had been fired.</p>
<p>At the same time that this was happening, in Caprica, the fires of revolution burned even brighter when the news of what had happened reached them. It was not only in Caprica, however, where the news of the destruction of Terra – for while it would take a few hundred more years, this was truly the destruction of the mother planet – had ignited flames of revolutions kept in check by whatever little power the central governments of Terra had over their colonies.</p>
<p>Virtually overnight, hundreds of independent states sprung up, and while almost all of them would be swallowed by one neighbor or another in more wars – and not a few negotiations – it was rather apt that this period of human history would forever be immortalized as the <span class="u">Age of A Thousand Nations</span>.</p>
<p>As for Terra itself, while a few million people remained on the surface of the mother planet, it has been generally accepted that those who would not leave the planet would inevitably die. In such a hostile planet where the very rocks that make up the ground emit enough radiation to kill a person in a few years, it was but inevitable. Exactly why those who had chosen to remain had made their choice is impossible to know.</p>
<p>We are now long pass the time when it is expected that everything on Terra will die, and no one had thought to send explorations to the mother planet until a few hundred years ago, though it is important to note that no such exploration had ever returned home because of some unknown – but most likely natural – phenomena happening in the Sol Star System and the five systems surrounding Sol.</p>
<p>We no longer live in the Age of A Thousand Nations, though exactly what the name of this age that we found ourselves in is still something of a mystery.</p>
<ul>
<li>Lynch, Jane Adelaide (1948 AE) Foreword, Yin, Sandra ‘<em>An Introduction to the Latest Five Ages of Humanity</em>’ (page 6-10), Barbados City, Hedgepond, Caen System</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Great Hall, Pence Castle, Madison City</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Serendipity, Stenlar Star System, Kingdom of Crotoa</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Duke Sir Ryan Philip Pence</strong>
</p>
<p>There was something different about the man who was walking through the aisle that the other hostile figures in the Great Hall had made, and Duke Ryan had that at the forefront of his mind the moment that he turned his attention upon him. The Duke of Winnipeg knew that it was not just because of the fact that, of the hundred or so armored figures on the other side of the line, he is the only one who was not wearing a headgear.</p>
<p>The fact that he is not wearing anything to cover his face meant that the Duke of Winnipeg was able to see his face, and if he was being honest, the first thing that the Duke noticed about this man would be the fact that he was wearing glasses. Given the distance, Duke Ryan could not be sure, but if he were to be asked, he would have to say that the glasses look as if they are tortoise-rimmed glasses, and if those were real, then it was an artifact that would be considered as rare, given that tortoises are some of the animals that have not seen their population bounce back when they were introduced to environments outside Terra.</p>
<p>Those glasses that the man is wearing would have given anyone looking at him the impression that he is an academic, yet that first impression would have been shattered by the fact that he is wearing the same armor as those who are around him, and that armor was clearly intended to protect the wearer during battle. As if that was not enough, when the Duke turned his attention to the hip of the man, he could see the sheathed sword there, and while the blade of the sword was still covered by the sheath of the same, it was rather obvious that that was not there for show.</p>
<p>Duke Ryan turned his attention toward the direction of the main part of the armor that the man was wearing, and he found himself blinking when he realized that while the armor looked as if it was the same as those which the others around him are wearing, there was actually something different about it, though the difference appears to be cosmetic only, with the largest difference appearing to be two golden diamonds on the left side of the chest piece.</p>
<p>The Duke of Winnipeg would admit that there was something about those two diamonds that seemed important, but at that moment, he could not tell what that is, and with that in mind, he simply returned his attention back toward him at the same time that he parted his lips with the intention of asking him who he is, though before he could push the words out of his mouth, he was forced to pause as he saw the man that he was about to address turn his attention toward the direction of the ceiling of the hall that they were in.</p>
<p>Exactly what it was that he was looking for, the Duke could not be sure and he told himself that the only way that he could be sure would be if he were to ask the man himself, but then again, it looked as if he was not in the mood to talk as he scanned the ceiling of the Great Hall. It was an action that prompted the Duke of Winnipeg to turn his attention toward that direction as well.</p>
<p>He was quick, however, to realize what he was doing, and after silently admonishing himself, he turned his attention away from the ceiling. He did not, however, return his attention toward the man who was even at that moment studying the ceiling of the Great Hall, and instead, he focused his attention upon the direction of the people around him, and he would have to admit that he was rather relieved when he saw that he was not the only one who had a confused expression on his face as he looked at the apparent leader of the figures in front of them.</p>
<p>That was because he could see a confused expression on the faces of Knight-General Clancy, Lady Emma, and Sir Leo, though in the case of the latter, there was also a sense of hostility on the face of the young knight that was absent from the face of Knight-General Clancy. Naturally, however, the Duke of Winnipeg did not have to ask Sir Leo what the reason for the hostile expression on his face would be.</p>
<p>As for the Countess of Gray Haven, the Duke could also see an expression on her pretty face that he would have labelled as a sort of realization. This actually caused the Duke to blink as he realized that the expression on her face told him that she was familiar with the leader of these men, and before the Duke could stop himself, he pointedly cleared his throat.</p>
<p>That small audible sound that resulted from the action on the part of the Duke was something that would only have been heard by those around him, and it was for that reason why the three of them almost immediately turned their attention toward the direction of the Duke, but as for Duke Ryan, he kept his gaze focused upon the Countess of Gray Haven, and that fact would have told everyone that the recent actions of the Duke of Winnipeg was intended for the Countess, and she raised one of her eyebrows as she silently asked him what the reason for him asking for her attention was.</p>
<p>Duke Ryan once more parted his lips to say something, but once more, the Duke was cut off.  This time, he may not be looking at the direction of the leader of the men who had attacked them and was actually looking at the direction of the Countess, it was still an action on the part of the said man who had distracted the Duke of Winnipeg.</p>
<p>“I was under the impression that, in the Kingdom of Crotoa, the host introduces himself first,” the man said, and those words made Duke Ryan – and the others – turn his attention back toward the man. During the time that Duke Ryan had silently asked for the attention of Lady Emma, this man had removed his gaze from the ceiling, so that by the time that the Duke of Winnipeg was able to return his gaze back at him, the gaze of this man who had given the Duke the impression that he is an academic was focused on him.</p>
<p>At the same time, however, the Duke could not help but remark to himself that there is no need to observe the standard protocols of high society when it comes to pirates. Of course, with the way that these people have easily overpowered them and was even now surrounding them, the Duke of Winnipeg decided not to further antagonize them as he inclined his head toward the direction of the man who had spoken, “I am Duke Ryan Philip Pence, Duke of Winnipeg,” he said.</p>
<p>He could actually see the smile that formed on the face of the man and even though it was the first time that he is seeing that smile, the Duke was sure that it was an ironic smile. That was all that Duke Ryan needed to see in order to know that the earlier words that he had said had not been intended by the man to be acted upon by the Duke of Winnipeg. In other words, he had said those words only in order to break the silence that had descended between them.</p>
<p>Even if that was the case, however, the man replied a few moments later, and as with Duke Ryan, he inclined his head toward the direction of the Duke of Winnipeg, though in that instance, Duke Ryan could not detect any sense of irony in that action. In any case, the Duke did not get the chance to actually wonder about that as the man said, “I am Lord High Admiral Duke Sir Alexander Charles York,” the smile on his face broadened at that moment, but it also became more ironic as he added, “General-Admiral, Imperial Terra Grand Fleet, Duke of Olympia.”</p>
<p>The way that he had suddenly stopped told Duke Ryan that there was far more that should have followed those words, and as he realized that, the Duke of Winnipeg also realized that this man in front of him had far more titles than what he was saying at that moment. In any case, however, that was not what was disturbing the Duke of Winnipeg at the moment, rather, what he was more interested about was what he had said after ‘Imperial’.</p>
<p>“Terra?” he asked before he could stop himself, and as that single word escaped from his lips, he was able to use his peripheral vision to see that there were also confused expressions on the faces of those who are around him.</p>
<p>As for the man in front of him, the Duke could see another smile forming on his face, and that told Duke Ryan that Lord Alexander had expected the kind of reaction from them.</p>
<p>“Oh yes,” Lord Alexander said, “We are descendants of people who have been left behind following the Great Exile of your ancestors.”</p>
<p>Somehow, Duke Ryan could not help but think that those words should have been delivered with more hostility on the part of the man delivering the sentence, but he would have to admit that Lord Alexander had delivered that message using a rather neutral tone, indeed, to the Duke of Winnipeg, he actually sounded as if he was amused by those words.</p>
<p>Of course, with his subordinates wearing helmets, it was impossible for Duke Ryan and the others to see what kind of expression it was that they are wearing at that moment.</p>
<p>“Is it really so hard to believe, Your Grace, that Terra could still support life?” the words that escaped from the lips of the Duke of Olympia caused Duke Ryan to blink at the same time that he returned to the present. He also focused his complete attention toward the direction of the man who had spoken, and as he had expected, the Duke of Winnipeg could see the smile on the face of the younger-looking man.</p>
<p>While he had asked the question, however, it would appear that he was not really interested in hearing what the answer of Duke Ryan would be, because as soon as he made sure that the Duke of Winnipeg was looking at him, he added, “It would probably be harder for you to believe that Terra is not as gloomy as your ancestors had left it,” there was a brief pause before he added, “Maybe I should invite you to come for a visit?”</p>
<p>Duke Ryan did not reply to the invitation that he had been given, mostly because he was not sure if he should take that invitation seriously, and as he found himself staring at the man in front of him, he actually asked himself if he should take his claim that he came from Terra seriously. There is nothing about the way that he carried himself that would have suggested that he actually came from the planet where humanity had evolved. It was, after all, easy to make the claim that he is from Terra even if it was not true.</p>
<p>In the end, however, Duke Ryan would have to admit that it actually does not matter because whether or not these people really did come from Terra, there was nothing that they could do to actually resist them at that moment.</p>
<p>“If I may, Your Grace,” Duke Ryan said a few moments later, and he used that honorific because the man that he was addressing had earlier introduced himself as a Duke as well. Privately, the Duke of Winnipeg was having a hard time accepting that that was actually the case, but at the same time, he told himself that if it turned out that he was not actually lying – though again, Duke Ryan reminded himself that it is hard to accept that these men really came from the birthplace of humanity – then he was being respectful, and when one cannot negotiate from the position of strength, then perhaps flattery would open inroads to cooperation.</p>
<p>In the chance – and this was what the Duke still was of the opinion of – that this man is lying, then by addressing him using the honorific that only Dukes are entitled to, the Duke of Winnipeg was also flattering him, and again, he hoped that that would open inroads to cooperation.</p>
<p>All of that, however, fled from the forefront of the mind of the Duke of Winnipeg a few moments later as he forced himself to not only return to the present, but also to focus his attention upon the man who had claimed to be the Duke of Olympia. He also had to fight the urge to inform him that there is actually a ‘Duke of Olympia’ – since Olympia is a planet within a system occupied by the Kingdom of Crotoa – as he continued, “What is your objective here?”</p>
<p>If anything, the smile that was on the face of the man who claimed to be the Duke of Olympia widened at that moment, and Duke Ryan got the distinct impression that the question that he had just asked was the right one in the sense that it was the question that this man was waiting for the Duke of Winnipeg to ask.</p>
<p>“The Holy Empire of Terra,” the man who claims to be the Duke of Olympia began, “seeks to return the descendants of those who had left their mother-planet behind back to the bosom of where humanity had first evolved, and toward that end, we have been sent here to make that happen.”</p>
<p>It was rather obvious that the words that have escaped from the lips of this man were words that he had memorized before, and that was confirmation in the mind of the Duke of Winnipeg that the question that he had asked was indeed the one that these people are waiting for him to ask.</p>
<p>Once more, the Duke of Winnipeg parted his lips with the intention of asking more questions, but once more, he was cut off by Lord Alexander as the man continued, “Before you ask, Your Grace, we have no intention of replacing you or your family from your hereditary control over this planet and this system, though I must say that I cannot say the same for your colleague who calls himself the Duke of Olympia,” – and the chuckling sound that came from the lines of hostile figures surrounding Lord Alexander made it clear to the knights of the Kingdom of Crotoa and to the Duke of Winnipeg that that was supposed to be a joke – “though, of course, some concessions would have to be made on your part.”</p>
<p>“And those concessions are?” the Duke of Winnipeg asked before he could stop himself.</p>
<p>The smile remained on the face of the Duke of Olympia, though even if that was the case, it was easy that it had lost some of the amusement that it had but a few moments ago, and Duke Ryan took that to mean that the man that he is speaking to is now has now took on a more businesslike demeanor.</p>
<p>“We would be taking your son and your eldest daughter,” the Duke of Olympia replied, and he replied rather easily even if it was obvious that he had also foreseen what the reaction of Duke Ryan would be. The reaction of the Duke of Winnipeg was to widen his eyes in surprise, and at that moment, he would have made strong protestations, if not for the fact that he actually did not get the chance to say anything because the Duke of Olympia added, “It is not as if you would never see them again, as we would just take the Count of Montpellar so that he could be trained in the ways of the Holy Empire of Terra in preparation for the time that he would become Duke of Winnipeg.”</p>
<p>Duke Ryan did not say anything, but that was mostly because he did not think that there was a need for him to say anything at that moment. He was sure that the expression on his face at that moment was more than enough to point out to this man who claim to be the Duke of Olympia that he had only talked about his son. He had not said anything about his eldest daughter.</p>
<p>Silence, however, was what greeted the expression on the face of the Duke of Winnipeg, and it seemed as if he would not be told anything in regards to the query unless he were to ask the question directly. It is for that reason that, a few moments later, Duke Ryan decided that that was exactly what he was going to do.</p>
<p>He was, however, cut off as the Duke of Olympia spoke again, “We have something very different planned for your eldest daughter,” he said.</p>
<p>Once more, silence descended inside the Great Hall and once more, the Duke of Winnipeg got the impression that the man that he was supposed to be speaking to had no intention of continuing to answer the question unless he would be asked directly. This time, however, Duke Ryan just waited long enough that he could actually say that he was not cut off when the leader of the hostile force in the Great Hall actually spoke.</p>
<p>“The Countess of Madison would be a ward of one our nobles,” he said, before he added, “Most likely, that would be me.”</p>
<p>‘<em>In other words, you are going to take my daughter and make her your concubine,’</em> Duke Ryan thought. He took a step toward the direction of the leader of the hostile force in front of him, and as he did so, his right hand went to the grip of his own sheathed sword as it was obvious to anyone who would have been watching him at that moment that he would have drawn his sword at that moment.</p>
<p>It was not only those who are near the Duke of Winnipeg who had noticed what she was about to do, however, because from the expression on the face of the man who called himself the Duke of Olympia, it was quite obvious that he was not only aware of what the Duke was about to do, he was actually excited about the Duke pulling his sword out of the scabbard and charging him. Of course, the fact that Duke Ryan had realized that the man that he was about to attack was looking forward to such an attack was the exact reason why he caught himself.</p>
<p>After all, if the man that he was about to attack was that excited, then it must be because he was not only prepared to defend himself, he must also be an experienced fencer, and certainly not someone that Duke Ryan would be able to defeat with his average fencing skills.</p>
<p>“Although, if I am being honest,” the so-called Duke of Olympia suddenly said and when Duke Ryan returned his attention upon him, he could see that Lord Alexander had turned his attention so that instead of focusing his gaze upon Duke Ryan, he was now focusing his gaze upon the Countess of Gray Haven.</p>
<p>It was only at that moment that Duke Ryan remembered that the expression that Lady Emma had been wearing but a few moments ago suggested to him that she had met this man before, and the words that escaped from the lips of Lord Alexander a few moments later certainly reinforced that notion, because the words that escaped from the lips of the so-called Duke of Olympia a few moments later were, “I have already staked my claim upon the beautiful Countess of Gray Haven.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Facility 0-B-17, Pence Castle, Madison City</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Serendipity, Stenlar Star System, Kingdom of Crotoa</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Lady Eleanor Elizabeth ‘Ellie’ Barnes</strong>
</p>
<p>She tried her best not to allow the impatience that she was feeling at that moment from showing on her face even as she kept her gaze focused upon the door in front of her. If she was being honest, she would have to admit that it was not an easy task to keep her gaze upon the same because a part of her wanted to turn her attention back toward the direction where they had come from so that she could run back toward that direction and come to the aid of her oldest and dearest friend. She knew, however – or rather, she had been convinced – that that would actually be the worst thing that she could do at the moment.</p>
<p>Another part of the reason why it was hard for Lady Ellie to keep her gaze focused upon the door in front of her was because part of her line of sight toward the same was being blocked by the armored figure of the vice-commander of the knight contingent that had been sent to defend her. Rather than lose her temper and ask Sir Ian to move to the side, however, she said nothing about it, even as she reminded herself that the only reason why Sir Ian had moved into that position was because he was trying to protect her from whatever hostile force would be at the other side of that door.</p>
<p>As that particular thought entered the forefront of the mind of Lady Ellie, however, she reminded herself that that was the crux of the matter. They actually do not know if there would be a hostile force at the other side of that open door, and that is the reason why the vice-commander had ordered four of his knights – easily over seventy percent of the remaining fighting force under his command – to enter through the door and see what was on the other side while he waited here with his one remaining subordinate to protect Lady Ellie and the others.</p>
<p>The fact that Sir Ian felt comfortable sending more than half of his remaining command through the door and into what Lady Ellie imagined would be a relatively cramped passageway spoke volumes as to what the vice-commander was feeling at the moment. Lady Ellie did not think that the vice-commander would have felt comfortable sending his almost entire force into a location where they would obviously be disadvantaged – because of the armor that they are wearing – if he was expecting the location to house hostile forces.</p>
<p>Of course, he still had to follow proper protocol, which is why rather than heading straight into the building, he had first decided that it should be checked first. That was made even more important by the fact that the one person that they could have expected to be familiar with the interior of the building in front of them admitting that she had never been in that building before and, indeed, up until the moment that she found herself in the escape tunnel leading from the great hall of the castle of her family that led to this place, she did not even know about the existence of that particular tunnel.</p>
<p>If she was being honest, the Marchioness of Havenstark would have to admit that there was a part of her that could simply not believe the words that the Countess of Madison had said when she was asked about this tunnel, but then as that thought entered the forefront of the mind of the Marchioness, she reminded herself that the Lady Ava was most likely speaking the truth, as even if she is the eldest daughter of the ruling lord of this planet, it was not as if she had grown up in this planet.</p>
<p>Indeed, Lady Ellie actually reminded herself a few moments later of the reason that she and her ladies-in-waiting are here in the first place, and that was because the Duke of Winnipeg – one of the oldest families in the Kingdom of Crotoa, as evidenced by their title – had asked for a personal favor from her uncle.</p>
<p>It was not as if it was a wasted trip in the opinion of Lady Ellie, after all, she and the others had been able to take in the new environment that they had found themselves in and had also learned a lot. Indeed, her oldest and dearest friend had even gotten engaged, though as her thoughts turned toward Lady Emma, the Marchioness forced herself to think about something else even as she returned to the present.</p>
<p>At that moment, she reminded herself that if she wanted to help her friend, then she had to get through the door in front of her at that moment so that she could begin negotiations with the pirates, but it would appear that the vice-commander was still not satisfied that they would not find anything hostile through that door. Despite the impatience that she was feeling at that moment, Lady Ellie could not help but remark to herself that she could not blame Sir Ian from being cautious.</p>
<p>The sound of the door being opened in front of them caused the Marchioness of Havenstark to turn her attention toward the direction where the sound came from, and she had to fight the sudden spike of impatience that she felt at that moment even as the door in front them opened. Indeed, the Marchioness actually found herself willing that whoever was at the other side to open the door as fast as possible.</p>
<p>No matter how much Lady Ellie would wish for it, however, there was actually nothing that she could do about the speed with which the knight at the other side was opening the door other than to actually physically do something about it, and that would mean actually heading to the door and helping the knight open the door, or perhaps to just shout at the man to hurry up, neither of which, Lady Ellie would have thought appropriate even if she would have to admit that there was a part of her that wanted to do away with what is appropriate or not.</p>
<p>As she was thinking about that, however, all of those thoughts became moot because while she was trying to think of what to do, the knight at the other side was able to fully open the door and by the time that she was able to return to the present, she could see two of the four knights actually running toward the direction of Sir Ian.</p>
<p>“Area secured, commander,” one of the knights said. Lady Ellie could see that the expression on the face of the man in question seemed to exhibit a sense of worry, but she trusted that if it was something that was important enough, then the knight would have said something about it.</p>
<p>“Anything in there that could be of help?” Sir Ian asked, but of course, the tone that he had used to ask that question was the only thing that Lady Ellie needed to hear in order to know that before he had even asked that question. It was rather obvious that he did not think that the answer would be in the affirmative, yet at the same time, he was still hoping that they would find something, “the Duke said that there would be a ship there.”</p>
<p>“We found one, commander,” the second knight who had run to the direction of Sir Ian said, “but I do not think that it would be of much use.”</p>
<p>“Surface to orbit?” Sir Ian asked, and Lady Ellie noted that the tone of his voice had already changed to reflect the disappointment that he was feeling at the moment.</p>
<p>At the same time, Lady Ellie did not actually have to ask the vice-commander why his tone had already changed to reflect the disappointment that he was feeling. A surface to orbit ship would have been of not much help to them at that moment because such a ship would be so short-ranged. As the type-name implies, the ship was useful only to deliver passengers from the surface of the planet to orbit where a larger ship should be waiting for them.</p>
<p>A surface-to-orbit ship is smaller so that it could easily slip through radar networks covering planets and is one of the reasons why they are usually used for purposes such as this, as escape shuttles. Of course, the fact that they are short-ranged means that any escape using them would require that there be another ship that could pick them up, and it was rather obvious that one is not available to them at that moment.</p>
<p>In any case, even if the ship that they had found had the necessary range to get them out of this system, that was actually not what the Marchioness of Havenstark wanted at that moment, and it was precisely because of that that she decided to intervene at that moment, “What about communications equipment?” she asked, and she could tell that she had taken them by surprise because when the two of them – Sir Ian and the knight who had made the report – turned their attention toward the Marchioness a few moments later, the expressions on their faces told her.</p>
<p>Of course, just because the two of them are surprised by the question that the Marchioness of Havenstark had asked does not mean that they could afford to ignore the question that Lady Ellie had asked. As it was not Sir Ian who had entered the facility, however, even if he wanted to answer that question, he actually does not have the information necessary to do so, and it was for that reason that the vice-commander turned his attention toward his subordinate who had entered the facility a few moments later.</p>
<p>Perhaps the fact that the two highest ranking people in the area – the vice-commander and the Marchioness – are looking at him would be the reason for the rather obvious gulp that the knight took a few moments later. She watched as the knight on the proverbial hot seat turned his attention toward the direction of the vice-commander – probably because of the two of them, he is the one that this knight is more used to dealing with – but at the same time that the knight turned his attention toward Sir Ian, Lady Ellie had also turned his attention toward the vice-commander.</p>
<p>The fact that she was looking at the vice-commander meant that Lady Ellie was able to see the nod that Sir Ian had given, and she took that as his indication to his subordinate that he should answer the question of the Marchioness.</p>
<p>“My Lady, we have found some communication equipment on the ship, but it is not powerful enough to be able to make a call past this system,” the knight said.</p>
<p>If she was being honest, the Marchioness would have to admit that she was not really listening to what the knight had said after he had confirmed to her that there was indeed communications equipment in the facility because at that moment, she was more interested in getting to that equipment and using the same.</p>
<p>With that in mind, she turned her attention toward the vice-commander – she supposed that she could have just gone running toward the direction of the facility the moment that she realized that she could find what she was looking for inside it, but she did not think that the vice-commander would have allowed her to leave right away, and she was actually afraid that he may grab her – with the intention of informing him – because she does not need to ask permission, or at least, that was what Lady Ellie told herself – of her intentions.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, at that moment, Sir Ian was distracted by the sudden movement on the part of the Countess of Madison, even if the only thing that Lady Ava actually did at that moment was to take some steps toward him. As the vice-commander was looking at the direction of the Countess, however, Lady Ellie found herself compelled to turn her attention toward the direction of the younger woman as well.</p>
<p>Unlike the knight who had to do something physical in order to deal with the fact that two of the highest ranking people in this group was looking at him, Lady Ellie did not seem the bit disturbed by the fact that both Lady Ellie and Sir Ian – as he is vice-commander, he technically outrank her – were looking at him, and indeed, the Marchioness could have sworn that she saw the lips of Lady Ava curl up a millimeter or two, and she knew that she could take that to mean that the Countess was pleased that the people who are looking at her are looking at her because that meant that she did not have to call for their attention.</p>
<p>Even if that may actually be the case, however, the Countess actually turned her attention toward Sir Ian before she said, “Even if we have a large enough ship, we cannot just launch into orbit and leave the system.”</p>
<p>There may be those among this party who could not understand the implication of the words that have escaped from the lips of the Countess of Madison – and here, the Marchioness glanced toward the direction of her remaining ladies-in-waiting, both of whom were seated on what she could only assume were rocks that had been left behind when whoever had made this tunnel had completed their work – but even if that was the case, no one was actually going to protest the words that escaped from the lips of the Countess of Madison.</p>
<p>In any case, for the Marchioness herself, she knew the reason behind the words that have escaped from the lips of the Countess, after all, no one can deny that, at that moment, the whole of the orbit of the planet was surrounded by enemy warships, and though she is not an expert, the Marchioness knew that when the orbit of a planet like Serendipity is practically crawling with hostile warships, then not even the surface-to-orbit ship that is apparently available to them can make it.</p>
<p>It would be worse if they actually have a larger ship because then, their captors – in a sense- would not even have a hard time identifying their radar return.</p>
<p>“Do we know when the next scheduled check on the planet would be?” one of the knights suddenly asked.</p>
<p>Lady Ellie parted her lips to answer the question, because she actually knew what the answer would be, though that probably would not have been surprising considering that she is the reason for those scheduled checks in the first place. The Duchy of Winnipeg may be at the far side of the Kingdom of Crotoa, but there was no way that the Palace would not check up on her, especially not with the political situation over there at the moment.</p>
<p>The reason why the Marchioness did not answer the question, however, was precisely because she knew what the answer would be. That was because the answer would be ‘it is too late for those who had been left behind.’</p>
<p>As that thought entered the forefront of her mind, the Marchioness suddenly turned her attention toward Lady Ava, and she was sure that the tone that she had used at that moment was of great surprise to the Countess of Madison, but then again, even the Marchioness was surprised by the tone that she took at that moment.</p>
<p>“I need your help,” she said. The words that may have escaped from the lips of the Countess at that moment may have sounded as if she was asking for a favor, but the tone that she had used would have left no one with the illusion that she was actually giving an order.</p>
<p>Indeed, a few moments after those words had escaped from the lips of the Marchioness, the silence that followed after was broken by hesitating words – and that was actually the first time that she had heard him hesitate – that escaped from the lips of the vice-commander, “My Lady?” he asked.</p>
<p>There was a part of Lady Ellie that would readily admit that it might be fun to see the expression that the vice-commander was wearing at that moment, but that part of her was figuratively pushed to the back of her mind, because even when she turned her attention toward the visage of Sir Ian a few moments later, she could honestly say that she was not looking at the expression that he was wearing, as she added, “I need to borrow your best radio person.”</p>
<p>To the credit of the vice-commander, he actually did not need to ask what she needed one of his knights for, though then again, she realized that he must have already noticed what the reason for the request would be, after all, Sir Ian was standing beside her when the Countess of Madison made this suggestion in the first place. Of course, the action of the vice-commander also meant – or at least, it meant to the Marchioness – that he was also thinking about what he could do to help those who had been left behind.</p>
<p>“Sir Malcolm,” the vice-commander said, and as he spoke, Lady Ellie was forced out of the reverie that she had not even realized she had fallen in until the moment that she was brought out of the same. The knight that the vice-commander called for would be one of the two who had remained near the door into the facility, and as said knight turned his attention toward the direction of Sir Ian, the Marchioness could see him part his lips in an obvious attempt on the part of the knight to say something.</p>
<p>He never got the chance to say anything, however, as the vice-commander quickly added, “Take the Marchioness and the Countess to the communications facility then stay with them and work with them,” he said.</p>
<p>As with the tone that Lady Ellie had used, the tone that the vice-commander had used was also one that easily told those who could hear him that he would have brokered no argument from his subordinates, but then again, because he was more used to giving orders than Lady Ellie had been, as soon as he had given Sir Malcolm his orders, he – without missing a beat – turned his attention toward his other knights, “Split up and check the facility for anything useful, come up with an inventory and report back to me.”</p>
<p>Lady Ellie was sure that the vice-commander was going to give more orders, but at that moment, she was not interested in them, and as if to provide her with further reasons for that case, she focused her attention upon the direction of the door of the facility just in time to see the knight that was supposed to be guiding and assisting them – Sir Malcolm – step into the interior of the facility.</p>
<p>The Marchioness was just a step or two behind the Countess of Madison in entering the facility, and as for Lady Ava, she was actually just a few steps away from the knight who was supposed to be helping them.</p>
<p>Perhaps it was the sense of urgency that she was feeling at that moment, but as she and the other practically run through the corridors that she presumed would lead them to the surface-to-orbit ship that this facility was playing host to, she did not even care to look at her surroundings. She realized that that may be a mistake because she might get lost later and would not have Sir Malcolm to guide her, but then she told herself that Sir Ian would come to her and report to her after they had completed their canvassing of the facility, and he could ask him then.</p>
<p>She did note that it was remarkable how Sir Malcolm did not seem to make a mistake as he led them to the ship in the facility, but then she realized that that was most likely something that he had learned as a knight.</p>
<p>That, however, was something that she would have to confirm for some other time as she and the others crossed a rather large door that she had not even realized was there until the moment that she had crossed the same. Part of the reason why she had realized that the door was there was because the next thing she noticed, she was looking at what could only be a ship, and though in terms of ships, this one is rather small, it was still large enough that it could carry more than a hundred people at one time and it looked as if the entirety of this rather large room was built around it.</p>
<p>Sir Malcolm distracted Lady Ellie – and probably Lady Ava as well – a few moments later when he suddenly said, “It may seem big on the outside, my Lady, but it still would not have enough range to get us out of the system,” he actually looked apologetic as he turned his gaze toward the Marchioness and he added, “And I am not sure if there are any relay stations in the system that we could use in order to boost the strength of our signals in order to make contact with anyone outside the system.”</p>
<p>“We do not need to contact with anyone outside the system,” Lady Ellie suddenly said, and as she had expected, the moment that she said that, a confused expression appeared on the face of the knight. She watched as he parted his lips, and even if he did not actually say anything at that moment, the Marchioness already knew what it was that he was going to say, which is precisely the reason why, a few moments later, she said, “We only need to make contact with the enemy flagship.”</p>
<p>If possible, the confused expression on the face of the man in front of them actually became more pronounced at that moment, and to the Marchioness, it actually looked as if the words that she had said had stunned him enough that for a brief moment, he just stood there with that confused expression on his face and his mouth hanging open.</p>
<p>As amusing as that was, however, it was not long before the knight had been able to recover, and when he closed his mouth a few moments later – probably after having realized that he looked so unsightly in front of the Marchioness – Lady Elle knew that the reason that he had closed his mouth was because he was about to say something, and he knew that it was more than likely that he is going to protest the words that had just escaped from the lips of the Marchioness.</p>
<p>In the end, however, Sir Malcom was not actually able to say anything because Lady Ava cut him off, “We have to hurry,” the Countess said, and after she had finished speaking, the next thing that the Marchioness heard from her direction was her running steps – and the reason why she first heard the Countess running rather than see was because by the time that the Marchioness had turned her attention toward where Lady Ava should have been, the Countess was already running toward the direction of the lift that would bring them to the entrance to the ship.</p>
<p>There was no way that the Countess of Madison was actually going to activate the lift without the Marchioness on the same – though at that moment, Lady Ellie had the very real impression that she would have activated it even if they were to leave behind their knight-escort – so there was really no reason for the Marchioness to run after the Countess, but that was still exactly what Lady Ellie did a few moments later.</p>
<p>Probably realizing that he would actually be left behind if he were not to start running, Sir Malcolm actually broke into a run to follow after them a few moments later, and they all reached the lift at almost the exact same time even if they had not started running at the same time, though again, that was probably because Sir Malcolm is a knight, so he ran faster than both of the ladies with him.</p>
<p>The sound of the gears operating the elevator echoed around the cavernous room a few moments later even as the floor where Lady Ellie and the others are standing began to move upward, but if she was being honest, that was not what was really at the forefront of the mind of the Marchioness at that moment. Rather, at that exact moment, Lady Ellie was more worried about how exactly would they be able to identify the enemy flagship so that they could make contact with the same.</p>
<p>“Sir Malcom,” Lady Ellie suddenly said a few moments later, and as those words came out of her mouth, she turned her attention toward the knight who was standing beside her. Of course, as she had addressed him, it was expected that he would be turning his attention toward the Marchioness as well, which was why by the time that Lady Ellie had finished turning her attention toward the knight, he was already looking at her and there was a questioning expression on his face.</p>
<p>He probably would have verbalized that questioning expression that he was wearing, if not for the fact that Lady Ellie actually did not give him the chance to say anything as she just as quickly asked him, “Would you be able to identify the enemy flagship from the equipment that we have available?”</p>
<p>Lady Ellie was quite certain that she did not see even a sliver of hesitation on the part of Sir Malcolm, and the confident way that he answered the question a few moments later certainly increased that impression that the Marchioness had, “Yes, My Lady,” he replied. She supposed that he was still confident when he added a sort of caveat a few moments later, “Even if we cannot identify it on our own, My Lady, I am sure that the other ships in their flotilla would be able to tell us which one it would be.”</p>
<p>She would have to admit that she was actually confused whey the expression on the face of the knight fell after he had said that, but she could barely list the possible reasons in her mind before listing them became moot as Sir Malcolm himself gave her the reason why she was wearing that expression, “My Lady,” he began, “Are you planning on offering yourself as a hostage for the safe release of everyone?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p> <strong>Great Hall, Pence Castle, Madison City</strong></p>
<p>
  <strong>Serendipity, Stenlar Star System, Kingdom of Crotoa</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Lord Alexander Charles York</strong>
</p>
<p>If he was being honest, the Duke of Olympia would have to admit that he could not actually answer the question that he knew was at the back of the mind of everyone who was around him at that time. What he does know is what the question that they would have wanted to asked him at that moment was and as that thought entered the forefront of his mind, a small smile – one that he tried to prevent from happening – appeared on his face. That question that no one would ask him at that moment was what is it about the young woman that, even at that moment he was staring at, that compelled him so much that he actually said the words that had escaped from his mouth.</p>
<p>Having seen the pictures himself, he knew that it was not the physical appearance of the Countess of Gray Haven that compelled him to have her, and again, if he was being honest, he would have no problem saying that the two other noble ladies in this planet that he could claim for himself – the Countess of Madison and the Marchioness of Havenstark – were more physically striking than the Countess, and that was something that he had told himself multiple times since the moment that he first met Lady Emma.</p>
<p>He mentally shook head before he turned his attention toward her and he actually blinked when he saw the right hand of the Countess. Fighting the urge to frown, he used the magnification function of the glasses that he was wearing – they may appear to be decorative, but they are also rather functional, and it was one of the reasons why he insisted in wearing them even if he could have had his perfect vision restored through a relatively simple process – in order to zoom in on the right index finger of the Countess of Gray Haven, and he was easily able to confirm the relatively simple band that was wrapped around that finger.</p>
<p>It had not even been a year since he had last met her so he had no problem remembering the fact that she was not wearing that the last time that they had met, and while it was possible that the reason why she was not wearing that the last time that they had met was because they met at an after-show party, he reminded himself that if that was an engagement band, then that was the proper place and time to wear it.</p>
<p>A few moments later, however, he told himself that while it has not been a year since he had last seen her, a considerable amount of time had still passed since the last time that he had seen her, and she must have been given that ring relatively recently. A sigh escaped from his lips a few moments later as he finally removed his gaze from the offending band – at the same time that he noted that he would have that removed and sent toward the star at the center of this system as soon as possible – so that he could take a look at the people around her. He was certain that it would be one of these knights here who had given her that band, and the reason why he looked around her was because he was trying to see if one of them had placed an angry expression on his face in reaction to the words that have escaped from his lips.</p>
<p>He did not even have to search for more than two seconds before he found the person that he was looking for, and he actually chuckled even as he mentally admonished himself for not realizing something so obvious the moment that he had seen it. Of course, the man who had given her that band would be the one who would be standing closest to her, but just to make sure that he had the man that he was looking for, Lord Alexander turned his attention back toward the face of the Countess of Gray Haven, and he gave her a smile before he actually said, “I look forward to having you beside me when they throw me a victory parade back at the capital.”</p>
<p>While the message was directed toward the Countess, Lord Alexander knew that she is not the one who was going to say something in response to the words that had escaped from his lips, and he was correct in that assessment. Lady Emma may have shuddered when she heard the words that he had said, but it was the man who was standing beside her who had actually reacted. Indeed, the fact that he took a step forward was also something that Lord Alexander expected, and it was for that reason that by the time that he actually took that step, the Duke was already looking at him.</p>
<p>The surprise that this knight may have felt when he realized that Lord Alexander was looking at him was apparently not enough to overwhelm the angry expression that he was wearing on his face. Indeed, to the Duke of Olympia, it actually looked as if the fact that he was already looking at the direction of the unknown knight served to only intensify the anger that said knight was feeling at that moment.</p>
<p>Of course, if said knight had intended for the General-Admiral to be intimidated by the expression that he was wearing at that moment, then he would be sorely disappointed, because in response to the angry look that he had on his face, the said knight only received an impish smile of amusement from the General-Admiral, and with that smile, he told her without words that he had done exactly what the Duke expected him to do.</p>
<p>Lord Alexander saw him part his lips, and he knew that the unknown knight who had given the woman that he wants to have for himself was about to say something, and he knew that it would be an angry message of sorts, though exactly what it was that he is going to say, it was something that only the knight himself would know, because the Duke of Olympia cut him off.</p>
<p>“Are you married to her?” he asked. Perhaps it was a bit too much to add those two last words as it was rather obvious who he was referring to, but then again, he added that last in order to irritate this knight even more. Indeed, it was in the furtherance of that cause that the Duke of Olympia added a few moments later, “To this beautiful woman that I intend to claim for my own?”</p>
<p>The knight did not reply to the question that Lord Alexander had posed, and the Duke realized that he must have driven him so angry at that moment that he could not even think properly. Of course, that did not turn out to be the case, as a few moments later, the knight that he had been looking at finally parted his lips again, “No,” he said, and the relief that Lord Alexander felt at that moment surprised every person who realized that he actually felt relieved.</p>
<p>Still, since it was only Lord Alexander who actually knew that he felt relieved, it also meant that he was the only one who was surprised by his own reaction.</p>
<p>It would appear, however, that the knight had not yet finished speaking, because a few moments later he added, “that would be for the future,” he said.</p>
<p>For a brief moment, the General-Admiral found himself staring at the man and he could see the confused expression that appeared on the face of the knight as said knight regarded him. It was far more than what Lord Alexander could take, and at that moment, he burst out laughing even as he regarded the unknown knight who reacted to the sounds of amusement that the Duke was giving by staring even as that confused expression that he was wearing intensified.</p>
<p>The knight who had given the Countess that band that she was wearing on her right index finger was hardly the only one who reacted the amused sounds coming from the lips of Lord Alexander with confusion, however, because even if Vice Admiral Cline – who was standing beside him – had that headgear of his covering his face, Lord Alexander knew his Chief-of-Staff well enough to know that he was also wearing a confused expression behind the headgear that was covering his face.</p>
<p>“Well, I guess we can say that most women do dream of becoming a bride sometime in their lives,” the Duke said at the same time that he made a show of adjusting the glasses that he was wearing through the bridge of the same. At the same time that he was doing that, however, he turned his attention toward the Countess of Gray Haven because he wanted to see what her reaction to those words would be.</p>
<p>He would have to say that he was not disappointed when he saw her glaring at him, but at the same time, he told himself that if she was looking at him with that expression, then it would be hard to make her his. He supposed that he does not actually need her to cooperate with him because he would just be claiming her, but that same unknown compelling force that compelled him to want her was also compelling him at that moment to discard that.</p>
<p>It was as if there was a voice at the back of his head that was telling him that if he wanted her, then she should want him as well, but it was also that same voice at the back of his head that was telling him that he wanted her for himself.</p>
<p>Another sigh escaped from the lips of the Duke of Olympia at the same time that he returned to the present, and with that in mind, he turned his attention back toward the direction of the Countess of Gray Haven. He was not sure how much time had passed since he saw her glaring at him and he fell into that reverie that he had just come out from, but he supposed that it had not been long, because Lady Emma was still glaring at him, though he supposed that it was possible that she is so angry at him that she could keep that glare on her face for that long.</p>
<p>The Duke would admit that he was not sure how he should feel at that moment, but in the end, he turned his attention back toward the unknown knight who had put that band on the index finger of Lady Emma and in a rather formal tone, he asked him, “May I have the pleasure of your name?”</p>
<p>If he was being honest, Lord Alexander would have to admit that he was not expecting him to reply to that request, but because even then there was the chance that he was actually going to surprise him by actually answering the question, and that was exactly what he did a few moments later.</p>
<p>“Leonard Robinson,” he replied. He might have answered the question, but it was clear from the tone that he used when he answered the question that he was not sure if what he had just done was the right thing to do. In the end, however, what is done is done, though Lord Alexander had intention of pointing that out to him.</p>
<p>“So, they call you Sir Leo, then?” he asked, but just to show that he was not really interested in what the answer would be – though he did note that the knight nodded at that moment in response to his answer – he simply continued speaking, “I will make you this one promise.”</p>
<p>The look that was on the face of the knight at that moment told the Duke of Olympia that he was curious as to what kind of promise it was that Lord Alexander would give him, but before he actually said anything – and after he had made sure that Sir Leo was indeed looking at him – he gripped the chafe of the scabbard of the sword that he was wearing by his side. He knew that the knight in front of him would notice, and as if to provide the Duke with further confirmation that that was actually the case, he saw the knight grip his own sword as well.</p>
<p>That was the only thing that Lord Alexander needed to see in order to know that the knight was going to act exactly as he intended for him to act, and it was also the reason why, a few moments later, the Duke of Olympia spoke again, “I promise you that she would be a bride,” the smile on his face widened as he told himself that everyone here knew who ‘she’ is, but then he chased that thought away from the forefront of his mind as he added, “just not yours, but mine.”</p>
<p>Lord Alexander would have to admit that Sir Leo drawing his sword at that moment was the reaction that he was driving to, but then something else had happened that he would have to admit he should have foreseen, because at that moment, Vice Admiral Cline suddenly interrupted.</p>
<p>“Your Grace,” he began, and the tone that he used was a protesting one.</p>
<p>Lord Alexander turned his attention toward his Chief-of-Staff with an irritated expression on his own face, and he knew that his old friend could easily see the hidden message that was written on his face – ‘<em>I am wearing my uniform under this armor, you know,’ </em>would be the message that was written on the face of Lord Alexander at that moment – but before Lord Alexander could say anything, Vice Admiral Cline voiced the reason for his objection, “That would mean giving up your claim to the Golden Throne.”</p>
<p>‘<em>I know, and that is precisely the reason why I am announcing it publically,’</em> he thought, though that was not what he actually said a few moments later as he regarded his Chief-of-Staff, “I never wanted it anyway,” he said before he returned his attention back toward Sir Leo, mostly because he did not want to listen to whatever objections it was that Vice Admiral Cline could think of.</p>
<p>The eyes of Lord Alexander met with those of Sir Leo, but no words actually passed between the two of them before the knight suddenly dashed toward the direction of Lord Alexander. He must have expected that the other knights would move to intercept him but no one actually intercepted him until the moment that Lord Alexander blocked his sword – just as said sword was swung in an obvious attempt on the part of Sir Leo to part the head of the Duke of Olympia from the rest of his body – with the scabbard of his saber.</p>
<p>“So, we are doing this,” Lord Alexander said at the same time that Sir Leo took two steps away from him. Lord Alexander, however, used that time in order to wrap the fingers of his right hand upon the grip of his sword, and with one swift motion, he pulled his sword out of the scabbard of the same before he placed a smile on his face as he added, “I hope that you can at least entertain me, Sir Leo,” before he suddenly moved forward, forcing the knight to get out of the way even as he delivered a horizontal slash that – like that one that Sir Leo had sent him – was intended to part the head of the knight from the rest of his body.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>En Route to the Great Hall, Pence Castle, Madison City</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Serendipity, Stenlar Star System, Kingdom of Crotoa</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Rear Admiral Daniel William ‘Ash’ Ashford</strong>
</p>
<p>He was well aware that his commanding officer was not going to be happy to see him enter the Great Hall, but that was mostly because the last order that he had received from said commanding officer was that he should remain on the bridge of the flagship just in case something was to happen, even if said commanding officer had made it absolutely clear that he was not expecting anything to happen.</p>
<p>A sigh escaped from the lips of Rear Admiral Daniel William ‘Ash’ Ashford at that moment even as he told himself that his commanding officer was not actually being unfair, rather, he was just dividing his resources in the best way that he thought, and leaving the Chief Military Advisor, General-Admiral, Imperial Terra Grand Fleet at the bridge of the flagship was part of that since Rear Admiral Ashford himself would readily admit that he was absolutely useless when it comes to ground action, hence, it made sense for him to be left behind while the General-Admiral and his Chief-of-Staff have their fun on the ground, though Rear Admiral Ashford was quick to add in his thoughts that Vice Admiral Cline might not actually be enjoying himself as well.</p>
<p>Indeed, as if to further illustrate the fact that he is absolutely useless when it comes to ground combat and hand-to-hand fighting, Rear Admiral Ashford was not even carrying a sword, but because of military procedures, he was forced to wear a standard boarding armor, much like every members of the Terra Marine Corps that had been sent to the planet.</p>
<p>The armor that the rear admiral was wearing is nominally his – it has his initials as well as his serial number on it – but he cannot remember the last time that he had actually worn it.</p>
<p>He shook his head at that moment even as he reminded himself that he actually has a reason for leaving the flagship and, in any case, even if he was aboard the flagship, it was not as if he could make command decisions, since the flagship has its own staff, and the fleet itself has its own staff. The position that Rear Admiral Ashford actually occupies belong to neither of those two hierarchies, as he belongs to the command staff and one of the few admirals in the Imperial Terra Grand Fleet who is a member of only one of the multitude of command hierarchies in the fleet.</p>
<p>Perhaps it was so that he can demonstrate – to his commanding officer – that nothing would have changed even if he had stayed on the bridge of the flagship that he had decided to leave behind a junior officer – well, relatively – in his place aboard one of the largest battleships of the Terran Empire.</p>
<p>The sound of metal clashing against metal tore Rear Admiral Ashford out of his reverie and he returned to the present at the same time that he found himself staring at an open door that he recognized from the intelligence briefings – some of which he had given himself – to be the entrance to the Great Hall of this castle that he was in.</p>
<p>He would readily admit to the confused expression that appeared on his face as the sound of metal hitting metal once more echoed in his ears, because while the Chief Military Advisor is absolutely useless when it comes to ground combat and hand-to-hand fighting, he at least had some training in it, and he could recognize those sounds as coming from two swords crashing against each other.</p>
<p>It was not that such a sound was unexpected, rather, the reason why he was confused by the sound was because it was obvious that there were only two swords clashing at that moment, and that actually meant that someone was fighting a duel in the Great Hall. Given the fact that Rear Admiral Ashford knew that his commanding officer was in the Great Hall at the moment, the chance that it was the Duke of Olympia who was fighting that duel was rather high.</p>
<p>Still, he did not deign to increase the pace with which he was walking in order to cross the threshold marked by the open portal, though he did cross within a minute of him sighting the same, and as he had expected, most of the marines inside the room were still in formation and had their attention turned toward the direction of the throne where the same sounds that Rear Admiral Ashford had heard earlier were emanating from.</p>
<p>It did not take long for him to reach a spot where he could easily see what was going on – the armor that he was wearing was his after all, and it had his rank insignia attached upon the same, much like how the armor of Lord Alexander had those two diamonds that marked him as a high admiral – and the moment that he did, he actually fought the urge to sigh as he realized that he was correct in his earlier assessment.</p>
<p>That was because at the proverbial center of the Great Hall, he could see his commanding officer with his sword on his hand blocking the blows coming from a man that Rear Admiral Ashford had never seen before. Of course, the Chief Military Advisor simply had to look at the armor that the sparring partner of Lord Alexander was wearing in order to come up with an explanation as to why he had never seen such sparring partner before, after all, said sparring partner was wearing armor that marked him as a member of the local knight order.</p>
<p>He was also hyperventilating as he continued to attack the General-Admiral, and Rear Admiral Ashford could see a smile on the face of his commanding officer as he just stood there, accepting attack after attack from the man. As if the Duke of Olympia wanted to antagonize his opponent even more than he was already antagonized, aside from the smile that was on his face, the Duke was also impliedly insulting the man by keeping his left hand behind his back.</p>
<p>Without words, Lord Alexander was telling his opponent, ‘<em>You are so bad at this, look at me, I can hold you off with just one hand,’</em>, so it was rather understandable that his opponent had a look of anger on his face even as he sent another slash toward the direction of the General-Admiral.</p>
<p>This time, however, there was no sound that resulted from that blow, because rather than meeting the coming blow with the blade of the sword that he was holding, Lord Alexander opted instead to take a step back and allow the slash to meet nothing but air.</p>
<p>Rear Admiral Ashford reminded himself that he is useless when it comes to ground combat, but even he can tell that the Duke of Olympia was just playing with his opponent, and with that at the forefront of his mind, he actually turned his attention away from the spectacle so that he could find Vice Admiral Cline.</p>
<p>If he was being honest, Rear Admiral Ashford would have to admit that he would have preferred it if he could deliver his message directly to the Duke of Olympia, but at that moment, he was busy playing with his sparring partner, so he might as well just give his report to Vice Admiral Cline.</p>
<p>In any case, that was the point of the position of Vice Admiral Cline, since the vice admiral is the Chief-of-Staff.</p>
<p>It was not that difficult to find Vice Admiral Cline even if the chief-of-staff was wearing his headgear. Of all the Terran marines and sailors in the area, he is the only one who was not holding a sword in his hand, and instead, he had his arms crossed over his chest. That headgear that he was wearing would have prevented anyone from seeing the expression that he was wearing at that moment, but Rear Admiral Ashford would have had no problems laying odds that, at that moment, the chief-of-staff was wearing an exasperated expression as he watched this spar.</p>
<p>“Sir,” Rear Admiral Ashford made Vice Admiral Cline turn his attention toward him with just one word, and even if the chief-of-staff had his face covered at that moment, Rear Admiral Ashford could tell that his nominal superior was surprised that the chief military advisor was here.</p>
<p>“Admiral Ashford,” Vice Admiral Cline said, before he paused, though that was not long enough for Rear Admiral Ashford to say anything because the chief-of-staff quickly asked, “Are you not supposed to be on station at the bridge of the flagship?”</p>
<p>The two of them were ignoring the sounds that were being produced by the swords of the two combatants clashing with each other, though that was actually a rather easy task because Lord Alexander was not returning every blow that was being sent his way.</p>
<p>“Yes, Sir,” Rear Admiral Ashford replied. As he was expecting Vice Admiral Cline to ask him for the reason why he had left his post, Rear Admiral Ashford did not say anything, though he would have to admit that he was actually rather surprised because Vice Admiral Cline did not ask for his subordinate to explain himself and had instead kept his silence, prompting Rear Admiral Ashford to just continue speaking, “We have received a message from the Expeditionary Fleet.”</p>
<p>Like the Imperial Terra Grand Fleet, the Imperial Terra Expeditionary Fleet is a combined fleet – one of four – and like their own fleet, the Expeditionary Fleet had been sent to kick-start the Great Crusade. Unlike the Grand Fleet, however, their older – considering that the Grand Fleet is actually the last of the four combined fleets to be commissioned into service – sibling – in a manner of speaking – had been sent to take over a planet that was not part of any of the big multi-system sovereign states that occupy this universe.</p>
<p>It is also the fleet where the usual marine contingent commander of the Grand Fleet had been temporarily assigned, and as that thought entered the forefront of the mind of Rear Admiral Ashford, he could not help but wonder if this whole display that their commanding officer was engaged in right now would be even happening.</p>
<p>As he had glanced toward the direction of the spar that was happening when those thoughts entered the forefront of his mind, Rear Admiral Ashford found himself once more watching the spar. Vice Admiral Cline must have noticed that, because a few moments later, the chief-of-staff said, “He even went out of his way to irritate the man.”</p>
<p>Rear Admiral Ashford was also wearing his headgear at the moment so he did not think that anyone would have been able to see the expression on his face at the moment, and it was exactly for that reason that he felt safe at placing a confused expression on his face.</p>
<p>‘<em>Now why would he do that?’</em> he could not help but ask even as he reminded himself that, during their time at the Imperial Naval Academy – Victoria – with Rear Admiral Ashford as a third-class cadet and Lord Alexander as a first-class cadet and instructor – Lord Alexander had specifically told that class that Rear Admiral Ashford had been a part of that irritating an enemy is either a really brilliant or a really stupid thing to do. The cadet-instructor had made it clear, however, that he was of the opinion that, most of the time, it was the latter.</p>
<p>“Do you see the woman standing beside the Duke of Winnipeg?” Vice Admiral Cline suddenly asked, and in reaction to those words, Rear Admiral Ashford turned his head. He did not, however, turn his attention toward the direction of the man who had spoken, rather, he turned his attention toward the direction of the ranks of the enemy.</p>
<p>It was actually easy for him to find the Duke of Winnipeg – and again, he had to thank the intelligence briefings – just as it was easy for him to recognize that one of the men who was standing beside him is the commanding officer of the bodyguard protection unit sent to the planet with the Marchioness of Havenstark.</p>
<p>As it was easy for him to find Duke Ryan, it was also easy for the Rear Admiral to turn his attention toward the person that Vice Admiral Cline had indicated, and the moment that he had, he realized who the woman is.</p>
<p>“I take it that she is the one that he had been talking about?” Rear Admiral Ashford asked.</p>
<p>He would admit that it was rather hard for him to keep the irritation that he was feeling for his commanding officer at that moment from boiling out, because it was now rather obvious to the chief military advisor that the only reason why Lord Alexander was having this spar was because he was trying to impress the woman, when he does not actually have to do that.</p>
<p>“Yes,” Vice Admiral Cline said, and this time, he did not even pause as he added, “The knight that our commanding officer is playing with is, apparently, her intended.”</p>
<p>A low growl actually escaped from the lips of Rear Admiral Ashford at that moment, and that marked the fact that the irritation that he was feeling for his commanding officer had intensified. He turned his attention toward the direction of Lord Alexander but rather than say anything, he instead allowed a soft sigh to escape from his lips before he returned his attention toward the chief-of-staff, “How long do you think before he gets tired of this game?” he asked.</p>
<p>Vice Admiral Cline actually shook his head at that moment, “He was tired of playing this game a minute after they started,” he said, “right now, he is only trying to give his opponent a chance to realize that he can never win and surrender.”</p>
<p>There was a pause before Vice Admiral Cline suddenly added, “Our lord had also said that he intends to marry the Countess of Gray Haven,” and after he had said that, the eyes of Rear Admiral Ashford widened. He parted his lips to say something, but before the chief military advisor could do so, Vice Admiral Cline interrupted him, “And toward that end, he announced his intention to renounce his claim to the Golden Throne.”</p>
<p>“Has he really lost his mind, then?” Rear Admiral Ashford casually asked even as he shook his head. At the same time, however, he told himself that there was something else at play here, and it was far more than what the Duke had apparently publically announced. It was also rather obvious that whatever it was that was at play here, Vice Admiral Cline knew – or at least, suspected – what it was.</p>
<p>A shout of frustration coming from the direction of the two duelers caused Rear Admiral Ashford – and almost everyone else in the Great Hall – to turn his attention toward that direction, and he turned his gaze just in time to see the opponent of his commanding officer retreat a few steps. It was obvious from the look on his face – as he was not wearing a headgear – that said opponent was getting frustrated, and with another loud shout, he suddenly charged forward, his two handed sword held in such a way that the tip of the same was pointed toward the ceiling.</p>
<p>Rear Admiral Ashford could see the smile on the face of Lord Alexander when he turned his attention toward his commanding officer, and the smile that the Duke of Olympia was wearing at that moment was the only thing that he needed to see in order to know that he had expected this happening.</p>
<p>It would appear, however, that Rear Admiral Ashford was not the only one who had noticed the smile on the face of Lord Alexander, because a few moments later, the same woman that their commanding officer had desired for himself shouted, “Leo, no!”</p>
<p>By the time that that shout had echoed around the Great Hall, however, it was already far too late, because there was no way that the knight could stop his charge and it seemed that he was aware of that himself because he did not even turn his attention toward the direction of where the shout came from.</p>
<p>Rear Admiral Ashford noted to himself that the knight must have really regretted that, because he must have known at that moment that the charge that he just committed himself to would be the last thing that he would be doing in this life.</p>
<p>With a practice swing of his sword, Lord Alexander sent a horizontal slash toward the direction of the neck of his opponent. Even if the knight had been wearing his headgear at that moment, it would have changed nothing as Rear Admiral Ashford knew that even the armor issued to Terran marines would not have been able to defend against that blow.</p>
<p>As a result of the slash that Lord Alexander had sent, the head of his opponent was severed from the rest of his body, with said head rolling sideward toward one of the shoulders of the knight, a shocked expression on his face. Even before his headless body – indeed, even before the severed head of the knight – could fall onto the floor, Lord Alexander had already turned his attention toward the direction of Rear Admiral Ashford, and he did not even miss a beat before he asked his chief military advisor, “What news?”</p>
<p>Rear Admiral Ashford was so surprised by what had happened that he actually could not say anything for a few moments, but then he remembered his report and he said, “General-Admiral, Imperial Terra Expeditionary Fleet has sent a communique intended for us and the capital, Admiral,” he paused before he added in a neutral voice just so that they could advertise to those who are watching them at that moment that this news was exactly what they had expected, “Roscan Prime had fallen.”</p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Lady Rachel reports to the Empress<br/>Sir Ian joins the negotiating party, but not fast enough to stop Lady Ellie from compromising their position<br/>Sir John meets with a conspirator<br/>Lord Alexander imposes his will upon his defeated enemies, only to find some of them far from actually being defeated</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>SIX</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>New Imperial Family Reform Law passed by Imperial Parliament with a slim margin</strong>
</p>
<p><strong>Parliament Building, Avalon </strong>– In a stunning move, the Imperial Parliament has passed the New Reform Law during the ordinary session last night. The suddenness of the vote taken on the law that some political analyst had taken as ‘revolutionary’ is perhaps best demonstrated by the fact that not a single member of the Parliament Media had even been informed that the said law was on the agenda of the parliament last night, and thus, when Parliament ended their session last night, not a single Member of the Parliament had been asked by a member of the Parliament Media about what had happened.</p>
<p>The New Reform Law was produced in its bill form late last year – 1895 AE – by Sir Peter John Travis, MP for Pretoria and by Dame Adelaide Joanne duMessigny, MP for Brasilia. In essence. The New Reform Law would change the successional rights of the members of the Imperial Family in regards to who would sit on the Golden Throne in the event of the passing of the current occupant, with the spouse of the current occupant becoming eligible for the Golden Throne in her own right.</p>
<p>Simply put, once the law is passed, the Empress would be able to reign as Emperor of the Holy Empire of Terra in her own right upon the death of the Emperor. This new rule, if passed, would not change the name of the current ruling family of the Holy Empire of Terra – as the Empress would retain the Royal House of York name in accordance with the Imperial Name Reform Law of 1785 which also saw a female member of the Imperial Family becoming eligible to rule the Holy Empire if there are no male heirs.</p>
<p>Under the old rule, upon the death of the Emperor, the Crown Prince would become Emperor after the mandatory sixty-day mourning period and coronation, with the former Empress becoming Dowager Empress during the same time and retiring from public life. Under the same old rule, the Empress may reign as Dowager Empress and Regent up until the time that the Crown Prince comes of age, though in the long history of the Holy Empire, this option had never been taken.</p>
<p>The New Imperial Family Reform Law has not removed the option of the Empress from becoming regent if those circumstances had been met, and it also has not removed the option from the Empress to retire from public life and hand over control of the Holy Empire to the Crown Prince should she so choose that option, but at the same time, it adds another option for the Empress, which would be to reign in her own right provided that she meets the requisites enumerated under the new bill, one of which would be a written declaration on the part of her would-be predecessor.</p>
<p>Senior political analysts within the officers of the Members of Parliament had always been divided over this bill, and it is one of the few proposed pieces of legislation in the long history of the Holy Empire of Terra that had crossed political lines with both the Imperial Party and the Liberal Democrat Party having members who had signaled their support and opposition to this bill.</p>
<p>“It is a dangerous piece of legislation that could see the introduction of an unknown element to the Imperial Family and the Golden Throne,” Sir Ferdinand Noriega, MP for Havana and Vice Premier of the Imperial Party, was quoted as saying during an interview with the media last January when the body of the proposed bill had become public.</p>
<p>At the same time, however, Sir Harold Boris Donasov, MP for Volgograd and Premier of the Imperial Party, had expressed his support for the bill, anchoring his support on what he called safeguards attached with the bill, including the requirement of the written authorization from the Emperor.</p>
<p>“The Empress is the partner of the Emperor, and the Emperor is the father of the Crown Prince. As such, the Emperor is the one who is the best placed to determine the capability of his predecessor, and if in his opinion, the Empress would be able to reign in her own right, then we, as his subjects, have to obey that order,” Donasov had said.</p>
<p>For Sir Trevor Lee, MP for Shanghai and Vice Premier of the Liberal Democrat Party, the danger lies in the fact that there is no mechanism with which the Crown Prince could challenge the appointment of the Empress to the position after she had taken the same, though he did acknowledge that it is not the place of a subject of the Golden Throne to question the decisions of those who are seated and would be seated on the Golden Throne.</p>
<p>The divisiveness of the bill is also reflected in the recent polls taken from the streets of the cities of the Holy Empire of Terra.</p>
<p>It has been speculated, however, that while Sir Travis and Dame duMessigny had been the ones to sponsor the bill, the text of the same had come straight from the Central Castle of the Crystal Palace with the Emperor being the one who had practically written the law.</p>
<p>Sir John Peter Bennington, Chief Cabinet Secretary, had refused to comment on such allegations, reminding the public that while the Emperor is prohibited from coming up with his own laws without the consent of the Parliament, there is no prohibition on the Emperor – or any member of the Imperial Family for that matter – to write their own bills and propose the same with the sponsorship of Members of Parliament.</p>
<p>“Whether or not this bill passes, the policy of the Imperial Family would always remain the same,” the Chief Cabinet Secretary had said during the last interview conducted on the subject of this bill, “and that is, the policy of the Imperial Family would always be to support our Great Crusade, and the continued glory and expansion of the Holy Empire, not only in terms of territory, but also in our economy and society.”</p>
<p>The Office of the Crown Prince had also continuously refused to comment in regards to the matter, with their official spokesperson, Lord Brian Hoxworth, Earl of Greenwood, continuing to claim that the Crown Prince would give way to the Empress should the bill be passed and becomes law.</p>
<p>Under the Constitution of the Holy Empire, now that the bill had passed in the Imperial Parliament, the same would be sent to the House of Lords who would be tasked with poring over the text of the bill and checking if there is anything in it that needs to be stricken down as it is a danger to the traditional prerogatives enjoyed by the High Nobility.</p>
<p>Unlike other bills of a similar nature that had reached the House of Lords, however, political analysts are also undecided as to how they think the members of the House of Lords would look at the bill, with almost half believing that the bill will pass without problem before the House of Lords, with another almost half of the opinion that it would be blocked by the House of Lords as it would allow a non-member of the Imperial Family from seating on the Golden Throne.</p>
<p>“It is rather simple,” Professor Manfred Selby, Senior Professor with the Political Science and Theory Department of the University of Avalon, was quoted as saying during his appearance on the Channel 5 News, “there are some members of the House of Lords who would use this bill to maneuver their daughters to become Empress, and there are those who would oppose this bill solely on the possibility of such a thing happening in the future.”</p>
<p>In an interview this morning with Channel 5 News, Sir Trevor Lee had said that while the Imperial Parliament had passed the bill last night during their ordinary session, there are still some issues that are left to be resolved, including procedural questions that may be best left to be discussed before the Imperial Supreme Court, though he clarified that while that is an option available, he would not be the one to instigate such a review before the court of last resort.</p>
<p>“A Member of the Parliament may question the fact that the bill was not placed in the agenda for last night,” Sir Trevor said, “One may also question the slimness of the vote as there is less than the required 2% margin required for non-emergency measures.”</p>
<p>As these questions represent interpretation of the Rules of Parliament and the Imperial Constitution, however, the best venue for resolving these questions would be the Imperial Supreme Court which, however, would not be able to move without a petition being filed before the same.</p>
<p>Despite best attempts to get a comment from the Imperial Family, the Crystal Palace had yet to make an official comment in regards to the matter, and no member of the Imperial Family could be reached for comment, though several had made it clear that they are heading to the Crystal Palace in response to summons from the Emperor.</p>
<p>Assuming that the House of Lords would pass the bill, the next stage would be to send the same to the Crystal Palace for the approval of the Emperor, and not even a timely filed case before the Imperial Supreme Court would prevent the Emperor from signing the same, though in such a case, the application of the law would be suspended pending the findings of the Supreme Court.</p>
<p>A full copy of the New Imperial Family Reform Law, as it had been passed by the Imperial Parliament during their ordinary session last night, is available in the official depository of the Imperial Parliament.</p>
<ul>
<li>Mitsushita, Rei, New Imperial Family Reform Law passed by Imperial Parliament with a slim margin, <em>Terra Times</em>, 19, April 1896, page A-1.</li>
</ul>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Mallowhall Apartments, Central Castle, Crystal Palace Complex, Avalon</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Terra, Sol Star System, Holy Empire of Terra</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Lady Rachel Anne Wolford</strong>
</p>
<p>She could see the lights of the city in front of her through the open balcony doors that she knew led straight to one of the most secure balconies of the Holy Empire, and probably the universe. Even though she is the chief lady-in-waiting to the woman who is considered as the most powerful un the Holy Empire and is actually the one who is seated in the Golden Throne in her own right, not even she could tell exactly what kind of defenses are present in the balcony that allowed the Emperor – when he was still alive – and the Empress to see the lights of the city surrounding the Crystal Palace Complex, and if she was being honest, the chief lady-in-waiting of the Empress would have to admit that she actually preferred it that way.</p>
<p>Even as she began to take small steps toward the direction of the balcony, Lady Rachel Anne Wolford reminded herself that even if she the chief lady-in-waiting – and thus, she is also given some measure of protection, as well as surveillance given how close she is to the Empress – she is still not part of the Imperial Family, and indeed, the Countess of Lagos knew for a fact that not even the Crown Prince knew of all the measures that had been placed in the castle in order to protect the balcony in question. He – and his wife who would be Empress – would only be briefed two hours before they would move into the private apartments intended for the Emperor and the Empress.</p>
<p>That is because the security measures in this balcony is part of the entirety of the security measures extended over the entirety of the apartment, and the security of the apartment is the province of the secretive Imperial Household Cavalry, a branch of the Imperial Household Guard who, nevertheless, make even the most paranoid member of the Secret Intelligence Bureau look as if they are amateurs.</p>
<p>The full measure of such security is such that not even those who are manning the security posts and keeping watch over the numerous systems are aware of exactly how many members they have, and they do not know where the other security posts are. Indeed, the Countess of Lagos was sure that not even the highest ranking marine guards in the palace knew who the true leader of the personal guard of the Empress really is.</p>
<p>Lady Rachel returned to the present a few moments before she crossed the threshold that separated the balcony from the rest of the room, and as she did so, she once more focused her gaze upon the lights in front of her as she reminded herself that what she was seeing at that moment was actually nothing but a fraction of the lights of the city surrounding the Crystal Palace – and even then, this fraction does not actually include the sector where the castle housing the Imperial Parliament or the castle housing the House of Lords – because this particular balcony was facing only toward one of the cardinal sections of the compass, and as a result, it could only show that part of the city that had grown around the Crystal Palace Complex.</p>
<p>Indeed, as she noted the lights, the Countess of Lagos also had to remind herself that the view of the city from this balcony was also obstructed by the arched roof of one of the four castles – in this case, the Southern Castle – surrounding the Central Castle.</p>
<p>Lady Rachel was not sure how long she had just stood at where she stood, staring at the lights of the city, though if she was being honest, the Countess of Lagos would have to admit that she actually could not identify any of the buildings that she could see in front of her. Then again, she had never had the need to be able to identify any of the large buildings surrounding the Crystal Palace Complex before so she saw no need to actually study any of them before.</p>
<p>In any case, a few moments later, the Countess returned to the present and she turned her attention to her right-hand side with the intention of looking for the person that she was sure would be there. When she failed to find the person that she thought would be there, however, the Countess could not help but raise her eyebrows in surprise, though a few moments later, she turned her attention toward her other side, just in time to see as a woman who was leaning on the surface placed on top of the railings of the balcony that they were in bring herself back up to her full height.</p>
<p>From the way that she had been leaning, Lady Rachel can conclude that she had been studying the lights of the city in front of her, but at the same time that that conclusion entered the forefront of the mind of the Countess of Lagos, she unconsciously turned her attention toward the direction of the surface on top of the railing, and she fought the urge to frown when she saw the half-filled goblet of red wine that was placed on the surface.</p>
<p>The woman in front of her must have noticed that Lady Rachel had turned her attention toward the direction of the goblet because a few moments later, she pointedly cleared her throat, but even as the Countess of Lagos turned her attention back toward the face of the other woman, she once more fought the urge to frown. For a brief moment, the two of them just stared at each other, and while the Countess of Lagos would admit that she would not have said ‘no’ to winning this rather impromptu staring contest, she would still have to admit that she actually has no chance of winning this staring contest.</p>
<p>For one thing, this woman in front of her was actually her teacher, and though more than a hundred years had passed since she had last been under her tutelage, the kind of bond that a student has with her teacher is not something that disappears no matter how much time had passed, or at least, that was how the Countess of Lagos felt.</p>
<p>More importantly, however, is the identity of this woman in front of her, and as she turned her attention away, the Countess of Lagos could not help but return her gaze toward the glass of wine resting on the marble surface of the railings of the balcony. The Countess did not actually get a chance to stare at the glass for long because a few moments after she had turned her attention toward the same, the glass was lifted off of the surface so that it may be sipped from.</p>
<p>It was at that moment that the Countess of Lagos reminded herself that every person in the Holy Empire would recognize this woman in front of her, after all, she is the woman to whom every subject of the Golden Throne owe their loyalty to, and though Empress Victoria Elizabeth York looked as if she was no older than thirty years old, the woman who is the first to enjoy the privileges conferred upon the Empress by the Imperial Family Reform Law is actually well over two hundred years old.</p>
<p>Barring any unforeseen circumstances – and it most assuredly would not include that one that had killed her husband as that disease had been genetic – the Empress could live on for another two hundred fifty or so years, and in all her remaining years, it is unlikely that her physical appearance would change from the appearance that she had at that moment, that of a thirty-five-year-old woman. Indeed, some of her grandsons actually looked older than her.</p>
<p>Of course, there would be some changes with the Empress, and if she was being honest, the Countess of Lagos would have to admit that there was one that she was wishing would change at that moment, because when she once more returned her attention toward the ultimate power in the Holy Empire, she could not help but note that the Empress was again wearing an all-black ensemble that would have told anyone that she was in mourning.</p>
<p>It had been less than six months since the death of her husband after all, and it was expected that she would keep on wearing black for the entire six months after the death of her partner, but Lady Rachel knew the Empress well enough to be aware that she would most likely be wearing black for the rest of her life.</p>
<p>The Countess of Lagos mentally shook her head at the same time that she executed a perfect curtsy in front of the Empress, and even if she did not turn her attention toward the visage of the Empress at that moment, she knew that the Empress could tell that the curtsy that she had executed was a little attempt on the part of the Countess to distract not only the Empress, but also herself, and force her mind to turn back to the present so that she may do what she had gone here for in the first place.</p>
<p>“Your Majesty,” Lady Rachel opened at the same time that she recovered from the curtsy that she had given her Empress, “the message has been delivered.”</p>
<p>The Empress did not show any outward sign of acknowledging the report that the Countess of Lagos had given, but even Lady Rachel would have to admit that the reason why she had not said anything was because the news that the Countess had delivered was exactly the news that the Empress was expecting from her chief lady-in-waiting. If the report that the Countess had given was different from the one that she had just given, then the first woman to sit on the Golden Throne on her own right would have said something.</p>
<p>Indeed, the Countess of Lagos was so convinced that the Empress was not going to say anything until Lady Rachel herself had said something that the chief lady-in-waiting could not help but place a surprised expression on her face a few moments later when the silence that had descended between herself and the Empress was shattered, by the voice of the Empress as she asked, “How did the chief cabinet secretary take the news?”</p>
<p>Rather than reply right away, however, the Countess instead focused her gaze upon the visage of her Empress, and if forced to, Lady Rachel would admit that she was actually looking for any kind of clue on the expression that the Empress was wearing that would have clued her in as to how to properly answer the question that the Empress had asked.</p>
<p>It took a few moments, but finally, the Countess answered, “He was of the opinion that the Prince of Redmure would make things problematic,” she said, and because she had turned her attention such that her gaze was focused upon the Empress when she said those words, the Countess of Lagos was actually able to see the smile that had formed on the face of the Empress at that moment. Naturally, she took that smile as a show of amusement on the part of the Empress.</p>
<p>The Countess, however, was not sure as to what the reason behind the amusement of the Empress was, and as she parted her lips with the intention of asking the Empress what it was that she found amusing, she was suddenly cut off as the Empress said, “the Prince of Redmure would do as he is told.”</p>
<p>Lady Rachel nodded at that moment, “Yes, Your Majesty, that is exactly what I had said to the chief cabinet secretary,” she said. She paused briefly, however, as she finally allowed that small tinge of doubt that she had been harboring since she had said that to the chief cabinet secretary to come to the forefront of her mind, “but I am not sure if we could really say that.”</p>
<p>Once more, silence descended between the two of them, though this time, the silence was far longer. A full ten seconds actually passed before the Empress made a move, and though the Countess of Lagos thought that the move that the Empress made at that moment was in preparation to her saying something, it turned out that it was wrong, because a few moments later, the Empress had, instead of saying something, returned her attention toward the lights of the city.</p>
<p>The action on the part of the Empress caused a small frown – and she was confident placing that frown on her face because Lady Rachel knew that the Empress would not be looking at her at that moment – to appear on the face of the Countess of Lagos, and she parted her lips with the intention of saying something. The words that were about to come out of her mouth were cut off a few moments later as the Empress suddenly asked, “Do you know why I asked for the Prince of Redmure to be sent to the front being handled by his cousin, rather than the other front?”</p>
<p>It was a question that caused Lady Rachel to blink, and as she closed her mouth – thankfully, she was able to close it before the Empress had returned her attention toward the Countess as Lady Rachel had no doubt that the Empress would not have been impressed had she caught her student staring at her with her mouth open – she watched as the Empress slowly and deliberately turned her head so that the bright green eyes of the Empress were focused on her own.</p>
<p>Even after so many years, the sight of those bright green orbs filled the Countess of Lagos with the need to answer the question right away, and she actually averted her gaze – bowing before the Empress – before she answered, “No, Your Majesty.”</p>
<p>The Countess of Lagos was unsure of how she should interpret that smile that was on the face of the Empress when she next turned her attention toward her a few moments after she had answered the question. That was because the smile that the Empress was wearing told her that she was amused about something, yet Lady Rachel knew the Empress well enough – and long enough – to be aware that underneath that amusement that she was showing, there was a lingering sadness in her eyes.</p>
<p>As one of the few people – and not even family is necessarily included in that list – who could ask the Empress directly, the Countess, there and then, made the decision to ask her, but just as she parted her lips, she was once more prevented from saying anything as the Empress suddenly said, “The Holy Empire has, at last, embarked upon its Great Crusade, and I know that my husband wanted to be the one to be at the helm when the invasion is launched.”</p>
<p>Lady Rachel knew that the Empress was not yet done speaking, so she kept whatever it was that she wanted to say from escaping from her lips, and she was correct in that course of action as a few moments later, the Empress continued to speak, “The Crown Prince is a military officer, but because of the sickness of his father, he had to leave active service, and because of that, he does not enjoy the kind of respect that his brothers enjoy with the fleet,” there was a brief pause before the Empress added, “and whether we want it or not, the fleet is one of the institutions in the Holy Empire that even the person seated on the Golden Throne would have to take into consideration.”</p>
<p>“Is it your plan to let the Prince of Redmure have the chance to prove himself before the fleet and the navy, Your Majesty?” Lady Rachel asked a few moments later.</p>
<p>The fact that the Empress did not reply right away was all that the Countess needed to hear – or rather, not hear – in order to know that she had hit upon the reason why the Empress had sent the surviving son of her eldest son to the front. When the Empress next spoke, however, she certainly gave the impression that the Countess had made a mistake, because when the Empress next spoke, she said, “If only it would be that easy,” before she paused again.</p>
<p>If she was being honest, the Countess of Lagos could see why the Empress had said those words, and indeed, a few moments later, Lady Rachel reminded herself that the Empress was sending the Prince of Redmure to the front of the Duke of Olympia, the cousin who is said to be the closest to the Golden Throne after the Crown Prince himself. If it was the intention of the Empress to let the Prince of Redmure have his chance to prove himself, then she would not have sent him there, indeed, the fact that she is sending the Prince of Redmure to that front reeks of another plan, and that plan was not one that would benefit the surviving son of the Crown Prince.</p>
<p>“The Holy Empire of Terra,” the Empress suddenly said, “is far more than just one individual, far more than one family, and far more than one dynasty.”</p>
<p>With those words, the Empress had confirmed – at least, in the mind of the Countess of Lagos – that the Empress intends to sacrifice the surviving son of the Crown Prince in order to secure the future of the Holy Empire, and Lady Rachel had to control herself from saying anything there and then. Unfortunately, the only way that she could think of to stop herself from saying anything was by focusing her thoughts on the plan of the Empress even as she told herself that she was not even sure if that was really the plan of the Empress.</p>
<p>By sending the Prince of Redmure to the front under the control of the Duke of Olympia, the Empress is hoping that the people would not be able to help but compare the two grandsons of the Empress.</p>
<p>‘<em>But I doubt that the Duke of Olympia would have want it that way,’</em> Lady Rachel thought.</p>
<p>She had met the eldest grandson of the Empress before, though the number of times that they had interacted could be counted with one hand. Those few times that they had interacted, however, was enough to convince the Countess of Lagos that the Duke of Olympia is not one who wants the Golden Throne. Indeed, it seemed to the Countess that the eldest grandson of the Empress would be content with just leading his fleet.</p>
<p>As unsuitable as the Prince of Redmure may be for the Golden Throne – at least, as he is right now, though it is possible that he could change in the future – placing a man who never want the Golden Throne in the first place on the throne would be more disastrous, and with that in mind, the Countess of Lagos returned to the present at the same time that she parted her lips, “There have been some rumors coming from the headquarters of the Grand Fleet, Your Majesty,” she said.</p>
<p>If she was being honest, the Countess would have to admit that she would not be the least bit surprised if the Empress already knew what rumor it was that the Countess of Lagos was talking about, but since the Empress did not appear to be willing to figuratively lay the cards on the table – even if she did turn her attention toward the direction of Lady Rachel in response to the Countess saying something – Lady Rachel found herself with no choice but to continue speaking, “There are rumors that the Duke of Olympia had become obsessed with one of the ladies that he had met in Serendipity the last time that he was there.”</p>
<p>The smile that appeared on the face of the Empress in response to what the Countess had just said was something that Lady Rachel had expected, not only because it told the chief lady-in-waiting that the Empress was already aware of the rumor that the Countess had just delivered. That smile that was on the face of the Empress at that moment also told Lady Rachel that the Empress did not think that it would be a big deal.</p>
<p>“So?” the Empress asked, “He would not be the first Emperor to have a battalion of concubines to attend to him,” and as she did so, the Empress actually inclined her head toward the direction of the Southern Castle, a single action on the part of the Empress that reminded Lady Rachel that the original purpose of the Southern Castle – the so-called rear castle – was for housing the concubines of the Emperor.</p>
<p>It had been mostly empty during the reign of the last Emperor – Emperor Edward had no need for concubines when he had the Empress by his side – and had been mostly used to house visitors to the Crystal Palace Complex during the nearly two-hundred-year reign of Emperor Edward.</p>
<p>“His Grace had never shown any sign that he wants the Golden Throne,” Lady Rachel said a few moments later, and as she had intended for that to be a silent comment, the Countess had not actually said that out loud and would have been fine even if the Empress would not make a comment about it.</p>
<p>Of course, the Empress had heard the words that had escaped from the lips of her chief lady-in-waiting, but the reaction that the Empress gave her was exactly what the Countess of Lagos was not expecting, because the reaction of the Empress was to break into laughter which was only disturbed a few moments later as she said, “He is the son of his father and mother, but he is the grandson of my husband and myself,” there was another brief pause before she added, “ambition runs in his veins almost as much as blood does, and if he is giving you the impression that that is not the case, that is only because he believes that that impression that he is giving you would give him an advantage in the race for the Golden Throne.”</p>
<p>Lady Rachel said nothing for a few moments, and it would appear that the Empress had taken that to mean that the Countess of Lagos had nothing else to say, and with that in her mind, the Empress then turned her full attention back toward the direction of her chief lady-in-waiting, “I cannot be sure why he wants to give people that impressions, but I do have my suspicions.”</p>
<p>If she was being honest, the Countess of Lagos would have to admit that she too has her own suspicions, and as she reminded herself that she and her teacher are in one of the most secure places in the Holy Empire at that moment, she felt that she could actually say what was on the forefront of her mind.</p>
<p>“The Imperial Cult,” she said.</p>
<p>The expression of surprise on the face of the Empress was one that the Countess of Lagos was not expecting. Even before the Countess could say anything, however, the Empress suddenly nodded, “Yes,” she replied, before she then shook her head and added, “and I can certainly understand why he does not agree with them, after all,” – and here, the smile that was on the face of the Empress widened – “I do not agree with them as well.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Facility 0-B-17, Pence Castle, Madison City</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Serendipity, Stenlar Star System, Kingdom of Crotoa</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Sir Adrian Christian ‘Ian’ Sherfield</strong>
</p>
<p>He had the contents of the report that he intended to give to the Marchioness written at the back of his head – though that was, of course, figurative – even as he made his way through the hallways of the ship that he knew he would find the person that he was supposed to report to, and as he placed his foot ahead of the other, he could not help but shake his head even as he reviewed the contents of the report that he was supposed to give.</p>
<p>Sir Ian knew that the report that he is about to give to the Marchioness of Havenstark would highlight just how bad their situation was at that moment, and with an ironic smile on his face, the vice-commander could not help but remark to himself that the only reason why their situation was not one that he would have labelled as desperate was because there are so few of them that the limited supplies that they have would last far longer than what they had obviously been designed to last for.</p>
<p>No one actually knew how many people were supposed to flee to this place in an event that Pence Castle were to fall, but judging from how relatively small this surface-to-orbit ship was, Sir Ian would have guessed that the planners had planned for at least a hundred people, after all, that is the number of available seats in this shuttle. Taking that into consideration, the vice-commander was then able to mentally calculate that the designers of this place had intended for those who had fled to this place to launch into orbit almost as soon as they had reached this place because the supplies in the locker rooms and other stock rooms were just enough for one meal.</p>
<p>Of course, even if the party that had found themselves in this facility at that moment would have wanted to launch, it was something that they could not do. No one had told Sir Ian – or any of the people in this facility for that matter – but the vice-commander was certain that the orbit of Serendipity was positively crawling with hostile warships at that moment.</p>
<p>All things considered, it was something that was to be expected, and indeed, if he was being honest, the vice-commander would have to admit that he would have been more surprised if it would turn out that the planet is not surrounded by hostile warships.</p>
<p>There was also no need for him to repeat one of the other reasons as to why they could not actually leave, which would be the fact that their ship – ‘<em>well, shuttle, really,’</em> he thought – does not have enough range. The people who had designed this facility had expected not only that the orbit of the planet would be clear, but also that there would be a ship that would be waiting to pick up the shuttle, and both of that is no longer true for the situation that Sir Ian and the others had found themselves in.</p>
<p>At the same time, however, the vice-commander reminded himself that according to the reports that he had received, this shuttle actually has enough range and fuel to reach the far side of the moon orbiting the planet. The chances are rather slim, but he still found himself wondering if that was intentional, because while there may not be a ship in this facility that could travel through the interstellar void, perhaps the shuttle had enough range to reach a place where such a ship was hidden, and as that thought entered the forefront of the mind of Sir Ian, he realized that that would actually be a rather realistic proposition.</p>
<p>Ships capable of travelling through the interstellar void are relatively large, and as such, it was a problem bringing them inside the gravity well of a planet. He had read of stories when he was studying of how early humans had tried to bring their interstellar ships so close to the planet that said ships were pulled into the gravity well, and it was impossible to bring them back up to space.</p>
<p>A soft sigh escaped from the lips of Sir Ian at that moment as he told himself that even if there is a ship waiting for them at the far side of the moon, it was impossible for them to get there, and even if the planet was not surrounded by hostile warships at that moment, without the actual coordinates of the place where the ship was waiting, it would still be a wasted trip. The moon orbiting Serendipity – Winnipeg, though it used to be called Winnipeg IIIA – may be smaller than the planet, but it was still a large wasteland whose features do not change.</p>
<p>There is also the minor – well, minor when compared to the other predicaments that Sir Ian and his knights are confronting at that moment – issue that Sir Ian knew that the Marchioness would not leave the planet, not without her best friend by her side, and it just so happened that said best friend was most likely now in the custody of their enemies.</p>
<p>Sir Ian shook his head at that moment – and he shook it with such violence that for a few moments, he actually felt his head hurt – in order to force himself to stop thinking about that. He knew the horrors of what happen to those who had been captured by pirates, and at the same time, he knew that nothing would happen to Lady Emma so long as Sir Leo is there, which was actually something that increase the trepidation and fear that Sir Ian felt, because if that would be the case, then it would mean that Sir Leo would be dead.</p>
<p>Once more, the vice-commander shook his head – though this time, he was more sedate – in order to force those thoughts away from the forefront of his mind. In that regard, he was actually assisted by the fact that as he returned to the present, he could not help but hear some voices coming from the front of him, and though the voices are muffled, he could tell that the voices that he was hearing were those of the Marchioness of Havenstark and the Countess of Madison, with the occasional male voice that was accompanying the voices of the ladies as one coming from the lips of the subordinate that he had sent to accompany them in the first place.</p>
<p>The fact that he could hear their voices, muffled as they may have been at that moment, was testament to the fact that they had not closed the door to the communications room where he suspected the three of them were. Of course, as he moved closer and closer toward the direction of where the three of them were, what first started out as muffled voices became a bit clearer, though because he was not really listening to what was being said as he tried to come up with a plan as to what they would do next, he could not actually hear what they were saying until he came closer.</p>
<p>What became clear to the vice-commander, however, was that there was a tone of frustration on the voice that was being used by one of the ladies that was attempting to make contact with the pirates, and though at first, he thought that it was the Countess of Madison who had been fast losing her temper. It was a reasonable assumption as he did not believe that the Marchioness of Havenstark would be the one who would be doing the negotiating herself, indeed, he had sent Sir Malcolm to accompany them with the intention that the knight be the one to speak, though he belatedly realized at that moment that he had not actually given him that instruction.</p>
<p>It was only as he drew closer and closer toward the communications room – and the voices became louder and louder – that he realized that the frustrated voice that he was hearing actually belonged to the Marchioness of Havenstark, and what made the eyes of the vice-commander widen even more was the fact that he could tell from the words that were coming out of the mouth of the Marchioness that she was trying to address whoever was at the other end of the radio herself.</p>
<p>The realization that the Marchioness was the one who was personally handling the negotiations caused the vice-commander to pause, but he paused just long enough for a second or two to pass before he broke into a run toward the direction of the communications room. Indeed, he must have been running so loudly that when he entered the room a few moments later, the first thing that he noticed was that there were two pairs of eyes who had turned toward his direction.</p>
<p>There are three people in the room at that moment, and the one who had not turn her gaze toward the direction of the vice-commander was the most important of the three of them, and as if to add further worries to the vice-commander, at the exact moment that he entered the room, Lady Ellie suddenly barked onto the microphone of the radio that she had been using to communicate, “Put your leader on at once!” she demanded.</p>
<p>That would not have been much of a problem, but then she quickly added, “This is the Marchioness of Havenstark, and I demand that you put your leader on at once.”</p>
<p>The eyes of Sir Ian widened again, and with more force than he had intended, he grabbed the microphone from the hands of the Marchioness who reacted by placing a shocked expression on her face even as she turned her attention toward him. The expression that she was wearing at that moment clearly told the vice-commander that she was going to demand an explanation from him, but even as she parted her lips, he turned his attention away from her, focusing it instead toward the direction of his subordinate.</p>
<p>Sir Malcolm must have realized that he was about to get a dressing down because the expression that was on his face at that moment reflected that. He is, however, a knight, and he had faced down opponents more terrifying than the angry expression on the face of his commanding officer, if only because no matter how angry Sir Ian was at that moment, the chances of him actually drawing his sword and running him over with it was very slim, even if that was exactly what the vice-commander wanted to do at that moment.</p>
<p>“What are you doing?” the vice-commander asked his subordinate. That was actually the only question that he could think of asking him without him losing his temper.</p>
<p>“We were unable to make contact with the pirates, commander,” Sir Malcom began. Apparently, he thought that that was enough, because he paused at that moment, though when he saw the unsatisfied expression that the vice-commander placed on his face at that moment, the knight suddenly added, “They would not even acknowledge our attempts.”</p>
<p>Sir Ian turned his attention toward the communication device that was the sole purpose of this room, examining it to see if his subordinate was telling the truth. He only had to glance at it once, however, in order to realize that this device was old and it did not have an activity log that he would have expected it to have. In the end, however, it really did not matter, because he was quick to realize that even if it was true that the pirates had not communicated with them, he only had to glance at the small screen on the side of the communication device to know that a connection had been made.</p>
<p>The pirates may not have bothered to reply to the request for communications on the part of Lady Ellie, but that indication on the small screen told Sir Ian that there was a connection, and that meant that the pirates could hear the messages that Lady Ellie and the others had been sending – including that last one where she had identified herself – even if they had evidently chosen not to respond to the messages that were being sent.</p>
<p>He paused at that moment and Sir Ian visibly swallowed – and he did not even bother to hide that fact from Sir Malcolm and the others – in an attempt to relax. As he took that breathe in as he reminded himself that the person that he is talking with at that moment may be his subordinate, but there are also two ladies in the room, one of whom outranks him. In any case, the reason for the irritation that the vice-commander felt at that moment was also something that that woman who had outranked him had done.</p>
<p>The vice-commander mentally shook his head as he told himself that if Sir Ian himself could not have prevented the Marchioness of Havenstark from doing what she had done, then there was no way that Sir Malcolm could have stopped her from doing what she had done, and as he turned his attention toward the direction of the Countess of Madison, he told himself that not even Lady Ava could have stopped Lady Ellie from doing what she had done.</p>
<p>Sir Ian turned his complete attention toward the direction of the Marchioness of Havenstark at that moment, and he actually blinked when he saw that she was looking at him as well. He could still see some of the irritation – the same kind that brought her to do something out of character and actually introduce herself – on the expression that she was wearing at that moment, though he could also see that there was an apologetic look on her face.</p>
<p>He did not even need to ask her what it was that she was apologetic about as it was clear that she had realized what she had done wrong.</p>
<p>Even if the Marchioness had that apologetic expression on her face, however, the vice-commander still returned his attention toward the direction of Sir Malcolm, and he returned the angry expression on his face, “Sir Malcolm,” he began.</p>
<p>If he was being honest, the vice-commander would have to admit that at that moment, he was actually just being angry for the sake of appearing to be one, after all, he had already accepted that what is done had already been done.</p>
<p>Evidently, he is not the only one who felt that way, because just as the vice-commander was about to continue, he was interrupted as the Marchioness of Havenstark pointedly cleared her throat, and that was more than enough to cause the vice-commander to turn his attention back toward the direction of the Marchioness.</p>
<p>“What is done is done, Sir Ian,” the Marchioness said even before he could say anything, and with those few words that had escaped from her lips, the Marchioness effectively told the vice-commander that he should let it go. Even if that was the case, however, Sir Ian found himself staring at the direction of the Marchioness for another five seconds or so, before he finally allowed a soft sigh to escape from his lips.</p>
<p>He did not, however, trust his voice, so instead of saying anything, he simply nodded.</p>
<p>Silence descended between the group for a few moments, with Sir Ian unwilling to be the one to break that silence, and Sir Malcolm unable to be the one to break the silence, something that the vice-commander was able to confirm because when he turned his attention toward his subordinate a few moments later, he could see from the expression that he was wearing that he actually looked as if he wanted to get out of the room that they were in.</p>
<p>The vice-commander, however, was not willing to let his subordinate have a free pass, so he turned his attention away from the other knight a few moments later, fixing his attention instead toward the direction of the visage of Lady Ava, and as he did so, he could see that she had also turned her attention toward him, probably just a second or two after the vice-commander had made his decision.</p>
<p>Their eyes actually met, and though no words passed between the lips of the Countess of Madison, he could tell that, at that moment, she was trying to apologize to him for what had happened. He shook his head – subtly, of course, so that the Marchioness would not see what he was doing – in an attempt to tell her that the last words that have escaped from the lips of the Marchioness was correct.</p>
<p>The silence that had descended inside the communication room was broken a few moments later by the Marchioness of Havenstark, and as she pointedly cleared her throat, Sir Ian and the others turned their attention toward her, with the vice-commander placing a questioning expression on his own face, though it would appear that the Marchioness would not be the one to first speak again.</p>
<p>This finally prompted Sir Ian to say something, but he actually turned his attention away from the Marchioness, focusing it instead toward the direction of his subordinate who actually flinched as he realized that the vice-commander was looking at him. Indeed, from the expression that was on the face of Sir Malcolm, the vice-commander was certain that the man would probably have asked for permission to leave the room there and then if not for the fact that the vice-commander had pinned him with his gaze.</p>
<p>“Sir Malcolm,” the vice-commander said, and even he would have to admit that he sounded unusually harsh when he pronounced the name of his subordinate, “report,” he demanded.</p>
<p>He actually watched as the man swallowed – though he did so without uttering even a single word. Whatever hesitation it was that he had been feeling at that moment that he swallowed, however, had already fled as he responded to the demand of Sir Ian a few moments later, “Commander, we were able to make contact with one of the ships in orbit,” he said, “but even if that is the case, they had refused to respond to any of our requests for the opening of communications, or to relay our request to whoever is in command of their outfit.”</p>
<p>The vice-commander knew that the fact that they cannot even be relayed to the leader of the pirate outfit that was attacking them was significant, because it could mean that this outfit is not as united as they appear to be, with the ship that Sir Malcolm had been able to get in touch with part of those who are siding against the leader of the outfit. That was significant in the sense that they could probably tempt that pirate into working for them.</p>
<p>At the same time, however, the fact that the pirates that Sir Malcolm and the others have been able to connect with a pirate ship, but said pirates refuse to talk with them could also mean that whoever is the leader of this outfit, he was exercising such control over his subordinates that he was actually able to convince ordinary pirates not to negotiate, and pirates negotiate all the time as they understand that it was the only way that they could get their demands met.</p>
<p>“What are your impressions on these pirates, Sir Malcolm?” Sir Ian asked, even if he was aware that it would be a difficult question for his subordinate to answer. He was essentially asking the knight to tell him what he thinks about the pirates when it was clear that he had not even had the opportunity to speak with said pirates.</p>
<p>Even if he had actually managed to speak with the pirates, it was still going to be a difficult question to answer.</p>
<p>Purely by chance, however, at the same time that he asked that question, the vice-commander turned his attention toward the direction of Lady Ava, and the moment that he turned his attention toward her, he caught the Countess of Madison as she shook her head. It was clear that she was shaking her head in reaction to the term that the vice-commander had used to refer to their attackers, and that told him that she actually disagreed with him referring to them as pirates.</p>
<p>Sir Ian parted his lips with the intention of asking the Countess of Madison why she did what she had done, but before he could push the words out of his mouth, he was forced to pause as Sir Malcolm finally began to speak, and because he was the one who had asked for an answer from his subordinate, the vice-commander felt that he had no choice but to listen to him, so with that in mind, Sir Ian returned his attention toward Sir Malcolm.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Bluebell Club, Ironloch, Avalon</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Terra, Sol Star System, Holy Empire of Terra</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Sir John Peter Bennington</strong>
</p>
<p>He wordlessly handed the great coat that he was wearing to the uniformed doorman before he turned his attention toward the member of the staff so that he could give the man a nod even as he reminded himself that there was no need for him to actually open his billfold and hand the man some monetary recompense. Indeed, if he was being honest, he would have to admit that part of the reason why he turned his attention toward the direction of the doorman was so that he could get the card that was on the hand of the man, something that he would need later when he claimed the coat that he had just handed the doorman.</p>
<p>Sir John supposed that he could just leave the coat there when he leaves the restaurant later, after all, it was unlikely that the coat would be taken by anyone, and it would not have been the first time – albeit, it would be the first time that he would have done it intentionally if he were to make that decision later – that he had left his coat behind. He had left it behind numerous times before and it had never disappeared, but then again, that was a service that was to be expected from an establishment as reputable as this one that he was in.</p>
<p>A smile actually appeared on the face of the chief cabinet secretary at that moment – and he was confident that the man in front of him would not have asked what the reason for the smile was – as he told himself that there was no way that he was going to leave his coat behind. He may be wearing a suit at that moment, but it would not be enough to ward against the cold outside this establishment as it was already late in winter, and the numerous nuclear detonations that happened within the atmosphere of Terra during the eras before the foundation of the Holy Empire have had some effects that lasted up until this day, one of which are cold winters whose grips reach as far as the equator.</p>
<p>The capital was located just a few hundred kilometers south of what was once the Arctic Circle, so even if it was not winter, it would still be cold.</p>
<p>He wordlessly accepted the card on the hand of the doorman before he placed it on the inner pocket of the suit jacket that he was wearing at the same time that he returned to the present. While he had not said anything to the doorman, he kept his gaze upon him, and he was certain that the man understood what the question that the chief cabinet secretary had on his face at that moment.</p>
<p>That was because the doorman turned his gaze slightly away from the chief cabinet secretary so that he could take a clipboard that was resting on the surface behind him. Exactly what was written on the piece of paper that was on the clipboard was something that Sir John was able to discern a few moments later, precisely because the doorman showed it to him, though if he was being honest, the chief cabinet secretary only had to glance at it once in order to confirm his suspicion.</p>
<p>Once that was done, he returned his gaze toward the doorman before he inclined his head toward the man in thanks, and without waiting for any reaction, the chief cabinet secretary began to walk toward the end of the entrance hallway that he was in, well aware that at the end of this hallway, he would be confronted with half a dozen elevators, all of which could access only two floors in this edifice.</p>
<p>It was a security measure as much as it was a way of showing to the guests of this club that this place is one intended for luxury. A reservation in the club is automatically only for one floor, and that as not an expense that even a member of the high nobility would be willing to do at the drop of a coin. The people with whom the chief cabinet secretary was about to meet, however, had always had the top floor of this establishment reserved, mostly because the person who actually own this establishment is one of the people that Sir John was about to meet, and as that thought entered the forefront of his mind, he could not help but shake his head, if only to force himself to return to the present.</p>
<p>At the same time that he returned to the present, he found himself face to face with one of the elevators, but as he had expected, the doors to the same were closed, even though a quick glance toward the display screen on top of the sliding doors of the same announced that the elevator car was right in front of him. He fought the urge to sigh even as he pressed a blue button – shaped to look like a bell – on the control panel in front of him, but rather than cause the sliding doors in front of him to open, the moment that he pressed the button, a sliding panel on top of the button that he had pressed made itself known.</p>
<p>The sliding panel revealed itself to be covering a keypad, and once more, the chief cabinet secretary fought the urge to sigh as he inputted the agreed upon four number combination – which he knew was unique to every visitor – on the keypad, and the moment that he pressed the button corresponding to the last number, the sliding door in front of him opened.</p>
<p>He said nothing as he stepped into the elevator car, and the moment that he turned around so that he could look toward the direction where he had come from, the sliding doors of the elevator car closed and without him pressing another button – since these elevators serve only two floors anyway – the lift began to move.</p>
<p>Classical music – the same kind that he knew that the owner of this establishment was overly fond of – began to play from speakers that were mounted high on the ceiling of the lift, but rather than turn his attention toward that direction, the chief cabinet secretary instead kept his gaze forward, even as he reminded himself that he had once made the mistake of turning his attention toward that direction, only for him to have to avert his gaze as the scanner that was supposed to scan him for weapons while he was inside the elevator activated.</p>
<p>A minute after the elevator had started to move, he reached his destination – and again, the fact that it took him a minute was part of the security of this place – and as the door to the elevator car opened, he found himself in a world far different than the one that he had just been in. Having been in all floors of this establishment before, the chief cabinet secretary knew that the sixth – and top – floor is the only floor that was decorated in this rather drab and unwelcoming fashion.</p>
<p>He ignored it, however, and he continued walking forward, allowing the classical music that was again coming from speakers on the ceiling – though this time, there would be no scanners scanning him should he turn his attention toward that direction – as he moved forward. Lights turned on in front of him as he walked, while the lights that he had passed behind him turned themselves off, and the pattern continued until he reached the end of the hallway leading to the elevators. The only reason why the pattern stopped, however, was because the chief cabinet secretary had paused at that moment.</p>
<p>Sir John knocked on the door, and almost instantly, the door opened, revealing a relatively large salon that was, however, seemingly empty. That, however, was an illusion, because as he crossed the threshold that divided the salon from the hallway, he found himself being serenaded by the notes of another classical musical piece, though this one was coming not from speakers on the ceiling but from a piano that was in the middle of the room.</p>
<p>He turned his attention toward the direction of the piano and sure enough, he could see a beautiful woman seated in front of the same, her fingers pressing the keys on the piano as the instrument produced the combination of sounds that entered through the ears of the chief cabinet secretary.</p>
<p>Sir John stared at that direction for a few moments, allowing the music to serenade and relax him, or at least, that is what he would have said if he were to be asked why he was staring, because if he was being honest, the chief cabinet secretary would have to admit that the reason why he found himself staring at the direction of the woman was because of the way that she was dressed, or rather, because of the way that she was undressed.</p>
<p>From where the chief cabinet secretary stood, it would seem as if she was not wearing anything, though he realized rather belatedly that perhaps he was mistaken, after all, he could tell that something was pushing her breasts up and together, making the cleavage between them even more pronounced, though whatever it was that was supporting her breasts at that moment, it was clearly not covering the nipples that capped her breasts.</p>
<p>If forced to, Sir John would admit that he would have had no problem staring at this woman until morning came, which is probably the reason why she was the one who first spoke a few moments later, “I hope that you are staring at me because of my playing the piano rather than because of my appearance, Sir John,” she said with a smile on her pretty face, and the smile that she was wearing at that moment was actually the only thing that the chief cabinet secretary needed to see in order to confirm that she actually did  not care what the real reason for him staring at her was.</p>
<p>Indeed, after she had said those words, she turned her front toward him before she slid her shapely legs from under the piano, and in short order, she stood in front of him, confirming to the chief cabinet secretary that she was wearing practically nothing. As the chief cabinet secretary had not said anything yet, she once more took control of the conversation as she said, “I doubt the Prime Minister would appreciate you ogling what belongs to him, Sir John.”</p>
<p>Those words were more than enough to bring the chief cabinet secretary back to the present, but he still mentally shook his head before he turned his complete attention toward the pretty face of the woman in front of him, “No,” he said, agreeing with the last statement that she had uttered, “but then again, that bastard had never learned to share.”</p>
<p>The laughter that escaped from the lips of Lady Rose Elizabeth ‘Rosie’ Hale-Walton, Countess of Caen, told the chief cabinet secretary that she was not only amused by the words that he had said, but that she also agreed with those sentiments.</p>
<p>“And it is not only his mistress that he refuses to share,” the Countess of Caen said a few moments later as she took a few steps toward the direction of the chief cabinet secretary who could do nothing but watch even as he wondered if she was purposely moving the way that she was in a deliberate attempt to seduce him. Of course, he told himself that he should frustrate her, though in the end, it really did not matter, because halfway between where she had started and where the chief cabinet secretary stood, she stopped.</p>
<p>Lady Rosie stopped in front of a settee that Sir John would admit he did not even realize was there until she had stopped in front of the same. In his defense, having someone as beautiful as Lady Rosie stand in front of him practically naked was enough of a distraction.</p>
<p>The distraction disappeared a few moments later, because from the surface of the settee that Lady Rosie had stopped in front of, the Countess took a blue bathrobe that, while it appeared to be made of some translucent material, was still more than enough to cover her body from the ogling eyes – not that the chief cabinet secretary would have admitted it – of Sir John.</p>
<p>“I suppose that I would be correct in assuming that whatever emergency it was that the Prime Minister had to head to had something to do with you?” she asked as she took a seat on the same settee where she had taken the bathrobe that she was now wearing. The Countess then motioned for the chief cabinet secretary to join her, but rather than actually head to the same settee – it could sit him and the Countess at the same time rather comfortably – the chief cabinet secretary instead took a seat on the nearest couch that he could find.</p>
<p>He had no doubt that she was disappointed with the choice that he had made – that frown on her pretty face was rather obvious as she had not even bothered to hide it – but he was not going to go seat next to her even if she were to ask him directly.</p>
<p>“Perhaps,” the chief cabinet secretary said a few moments later. He turned his complete attention back toward the direction of the Countess before he said, “Did he tell you why he is suddenly leaving?”</p>
<p>The smile on the face of the Countess was actually the only thing that the chief cabinet secretary needed to see in order to figure out what the answer would be, and he knew that she was practically shouting the answer to the question that he had just asked. Even if that was the case, however, the Countess still replied, “Of course not,” she actually frowned, but he could tell that it was a playful one, “the Prime Minister is not going to tell his mistress everything that is going on in the Imperial Parliament, even if his mistress actually knows far more than what he does.”</p>
<p>For a brief moment, the chief cabinet secretary found himself wondering exactly why Lady Rosie had presented herself to the Prime Minister and had become his mistress all those years ago, when it was obvious that she was barely able to hide her contempt for him whenever he is not near her. Of course, at the same time that that thought entered the forefront of his mind, the chief cabinet secretary told himself that it most likely had to do with the fact that the prime minister is actually a commoner, while Lady Rosie herself is a descendant of a noble family whose history is almost as long as that of the House of York.</p>
<p>Indeed, the Countess of Caen was actually rather fond of reminding people whenever they irritated her that the founder of her family is the older brother of the favorite mistress of the first Emperor, a mistress who joined the body of the Emperor on his final journey toward Avalon, and who had started out the trend among Royal Mistresses.</p>
<p>As for the reason why she chose to become the mistress of the prime minister, that would have something to do with the allegiance of the Countess of Caen, after all, someone from her family would inevitably be involved in one of the oldest organizations in the Holy Empire of Terra, the Imperial Cult.</p>
<p>“That being said,” the words of the Countess made Sir John return to the present, and he turned his attention toward her just in time to see her beautiful face as she spoke, “I actually have no idea what the reason for the prime minister leaving was.”</p>
<p>“New orders from the Crystal Palace,” the chief cabinet secretary suddenly said, and when he saw the Countess of Caen turn her attention toward his direction with a questioning expression on her pretty visage, he suddenly added, “Her Majesty had ordered the Prince of Redmure to head to the Stenlar System, though she had not yet seen fit to assign him a task.”</p>
<p>If he was being honest, the chief cabinet secretary would readily admit that seeing the stunned expression on the face of the Countess of Caen was something that pleased him greatly, though even he would have to admit that he would have preferred it if she had not actually put on that bathrobe that she was wearing at that moment before she had been stunned, because then he would have been able to stare at her naked body even more.</p>
<p>He did shake his head a few moments later, however, in order to force himself to return to the present, though he simply had to glance toward the direction of the Countess to know that she had not yet recovered from the shock that he had given her.</p>
<p>‘<em>I wonder,’</em> he thought at the same time that he shifted his body slightly toward her, but at that same moment, he heard a shuffling sound coming from the direction of the Countess, and that forced the chief cabinet secretary to turn his full attention toward her direction even as he placed a questioning expression on his face.</p>
<p>“This actually turned out to be such a good day for us, Sir John,” she said, and as if she wanted to reward him for delivering that news, she actually stood up, and before he could fully comprehend what it was that she was doing, he blinked as he saw her pushing the robe that she was wearing off of her.</p>
<p>“Stop,” the chief cabinet secretary said, and it was actually one of the few times that he could remember that she actually listened to him. Once he was sure that she was not about to disrobe, he turned his complete attention back to him and asked, “Would you care to enlighten me about that?”</p>
<p>The smile on her face at that moment was very wide and as she returned her robes back to their proper place – though Sir John would have to admit that there was a part of him that was disappointed – she parted her lips, “Why would the Empress send her two eldest grandsons to the same front, Sir John?” she asked.</p>
<p>He shook his head, impliedly telling her that she actually does not know the answer, and because he was sure that she was not going to accept the answer that he had just given her, he was preparing to say something when he found himself cut off as the Countess of Caen said, “It is because she is testing both of them,” she resumed her seat at that moment, but before the chief cabinet secretary could say anything, the Countess added, “and do you think the person that we have decided to support would lose such a contest?”</p>
<p>Sir John actually let an amused snort in response to the question that the Countess of Caen had asked. As far as he – and the other members of their faction of the Imperial Cult are concerned – not even the Crown Prince would be able to match the man that they had chosen to support for the Golden Throne, and indeed, Sir John knew that the only reason why they are not actively campaigning to have the Crown Prince replaced by the Duke of Olympia in that position lies in the fact that the Imperial Cult is supposed to support the Emperor.</p>
<p>The decision as to who would be the Crown Prince was a decision of the late Emperor, and as such, it is something that they would follow, but since the successor of this particular Crown Prince had not yet been decided, then they could still maneuver their candidates to the forefront. That maneuvering between the factions of the Imperial Cult, Sir John knew, would continue until the Empress – or perhaps the Crown Prince – would make the decision as to who would be the next heir-apparent of the Emperor of the Holy Empire of Terra.</p>
<p>“In fact,” the words that escaped from the lips of the Countess of Caen had the effect of forcing Sir John to return to the present once more, and as he turned his attention toward her, he could see the wide smile on her face. That smile did not remain there for long, however, as she quickly said, “I have heard from the Utopia Planitia Shipyards that they had finished the construction of a new capital ship.”</p>
<p>Sir John nodded, “the <em>Seraphim</em>,” he said, though he would admit that he was not sure why the Countess of Caen was bringing that up, and he certainly was sure that he was giving her that impression when he added a few moments later, “It is a large cruiser though, so the Duke of Olympia is not going to shift his flag to that ship.”</p>
<p>“No,” the Countess of Caen said as she shook her head, “How about we let the Prince of Redmure use that ship as his flagship for this dispatch?” she asked, and when Sir John found himself blinking in response to the words that have escaped from the lips of Lady Rosie, she added, “’Even with a brand new capital ship at his disposal, the Prince of Redmure is still unable to compare with his older cousin, the Duke of Olympia’ seems like a good headline to me.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Great Hall, Pence Castle, Madison City</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Serendipity, Stenlar Star System, Kingdom of Crotoa</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Lord Alexander Charles York</strong>
</p>
<p>He acknowledged the report that his subordinate had given him with a simple nod, though if he was being honest, he would have to admit that the report that he had been given was something that he was already expecting. Indeed, he would have been more surprised if he had been informed that the invasion of Roscan Prime had not gone as planned and the forces that were sent to the ecumenopolis had failed in taking the planet.</p>
<p>‘<em>With the forces under their disposal, that would have been quite a show,’</em> Lord Alexander thought at the same time that he reminded himself that his own marine commander was actually attached to the force that had been sent to take that planet, and he was quite sure that the man that he personally handpicked to command his marines would not have allowed their mission to fail.</p>
<p>The General-Admiral turned his attention toward his chief-of-staff, but it was not so that he could see what his reaction would be to the report that the chief military advisor had delivered, rather, the reason why Lord Alexander turned his attention toward one of his oldest friends was because he wanted to see if he could still find the sort of disappointment on the face of Vice Admiral Cline that Lord Alexander knew the older man – and though it was just for a few years, it was still enough that the two of them missed each other in the academy – had placed on his visage in reaction to him accepting the duel.</p>
<p>He was hoping that the expression would have changed now that they had received news of the victory of their comrades, and Lord Alexander would have to admit that he was actually disappointed when he confirmed that the expression of disappointment and disagreement was still there. Evidently, Vice Admiral Cline had not seen fit to celebrate the information that Rear Admiral Ashford had delivered, though that was most likely because it was a piece of news that Vice Admiral Cline had been expecting as well.</p>
<p>Expecting that his chief-of-staff was not going to change the expression that he was wearing at that moment, Lord Alexander instead turned his attention back toward the opposing line. He had no doubt that the Duke had heard the news that Rear Admiral Ashford had delivered, and while he may perhaps have been persuaded to give the Duke of Winnipeg a bit more time to fully digest that information, Lord Alexander was no longer feeling generous.</p>
<p>The Duke of Olympia brought his sword up slightly until the tip of the sword was pointing toward the ceiling, and diagonal across his body, before he swiftly brought it down diagonally so that the blood that clung onto the blade of the weapon detached itself from the same. Apparently – and if he was being honest, that was actually what he had wanted to happen – the fact that Lord Alexander had done that brought the Duke and his people back to the present.</p>
<p>Lord Alexander could see his counterpart turning his attention toward him, but then he seemed to have thought better of it because he actually paused a few moments later, and he instead turned his attention toward the direction of the headless body of the man that the Duke of Olympia had just killed. Such an action on the part of the Duke of Winnipeg made Lord Alexander turn his attention toward the direction of the man as well, and he fought the urge to sigh at the same time that he fought the urge to tell the Duke that the man is rather lucky to have died with his blade.</p>
<p>Instead, when the General-Admiral spoke a few moments later, he used words that were intended to remind the Duke of Winnipeg of the situation that they were in at that moment.</p>
<p>“Would you wish to continue this futile resistance, Your Grace?” he asked.</p>
<p>This time, it was his turn to cause Duke Ryan to pause, and as the younger man – because despite appearances, Lord Alexander is actually nine years older than Duke Ryan – turned his attention toward the direction of Lord Alexander, the General-Admiral continued, “I understand that you are not obliged to listen to my advice at this moment, but if I may do so, I would advise you that resistance is futile.”</p>
<p>Lord Alexander suspected that the Duke of Winnipeg had already known that that was the case, and perhaps that is the reason why he actually did not say anything in response to the words that the Duke of Olympia had said. Just because Duke Ryan had not said anything, however, does not mean that no one made a sound in response to the words of Lord Alexander. The next sound that echoed around the hall, however, was not in the form of words, but rather, was in the form of a single shout.</p>
<p>The General-Admiral turned his attention toward the direction of where the shout came from just in time to see as a single knight approached him, his sword raised above his head in an obvious attack position, and because the man was not wearing his headgear, Lord Alexander was easily able to identify the man who was attacking him as the leader of the contingent of knights sent to this planet.</p>
<p>Even if the Knight-General was about to strike at him, however, the thoughts that were at the forefront of the mind of Lord Alexander at that moment actually had nothing to do with how he should defend himself, rather, the thoughts that were at the forefront of the mind of the Duke of Olympia as he watched the Knight-General rushing him was that despite the grizzled appearance of this veteran who was so desperate to cross swords with him, he is still younger than Lord Alexander.</p>
<p>‘<em>Ten years, if memory serves me right,’</em> he thought at the same time that he watched the Knight-General finally reach within the minimum distance with which he could attack him, and the moment that he reached that distance, Knight-General Clancy brought his sword down, prompting Lord Alexander to bring his sword back up in order to block the blow coming from above.</p>
<p>He would have to admit that he was actually surprised with the strength that the man that he called a ‘grizzled old veteran’ had demonstrated at that moment, because he was sure that if not for the armor that he was wearing – with the additional strength that it provided him – than he was certain that he would have had the blade of the sword of the Knight-General buried in his skull by now.</p>
<p>Lord Alexander did not think that he was cheating by relying on the additional strength provided by the armor, however, because he was certain that Knight-General Clancy was also relying on the strength of the armor that he was wearing in order to try to kill him, and indeed, as soon as he realized that his first attack had failed, the Knight-General took several steps back and he would have no doubt tried the same trick again.</p>
<p>The General-Admiral, however, gave him no opportunity to do that, because a few moments later, it was his turn to attack, and as he practically threw himself toward where the Knight-General has retreated, Lord Alexander – who had the tip of his sword pointed toward the floor as he moved forward – delivered a sharp diagonal strike from his left hip.</p>
<p>He felt the resistance of the armor that the Knight-General was wearing against the blade of his sword, but while that armor was designed to protect the wearer from the projectile weapons, it cannot defend against a blade. It may seem to be counter-intuitive, but the reason why armor is effective against projectile weapons like guns is because those weapons give their projectiles a certain amount of kinetic energy and it is that kinetic energy that the armor uses in order to protect the wearer against the projectile through a process known as ballistic electro-reactive protection.</p>
<p>A grunt escaped from the lips of Knight-General Clancy even as Lord Alexander felt the rather familiar feeling of human flesh and metal armor resisting the slash from his sword. He knew, however, that there was no way that he would be able to take down the Knight-General with just one slash, which was why a few moments later, he followed up, though rather than use his sword, this time, he instead raised his left foot and delivered a powerful kick on the side of the face of the Knight-General.</p>
<p>Lord Alexander was sure that his kick was powerful, but he also knew that he did not actually hurt the Knight-General. That, however, did not bother him in the slightest, because he delivered the kick not to hurt the Knight-General – that would have been superficial – but rather, he delivered that kick simply because he wanted the Knight-General to lose his balance and that was exactly what happened a few moments later.</p>
<p>With a big crashing sound, the Knight-General fell to his side, opposite the direction where the kick came from, and while he may have been able to bring himself back up to his feet had circumstances been normal, that was not the case at the moment, after all, at that moment, there was a big wound on the torso of the Knight-General that run from his right hip up to his left shoulder, and that wound was deep. Lord Alexander knew that the wound was deep precisely because he was the one who had given him that wound.</p>
<p>The General-Admiral did not even glance toward the direction of his downed opponent – with a wound that large and deep, not even the advance medical technologies of the Holy Empire of Terra would have been able to help him – but he knew that even at that moment, blood was pouring out of the wounds that he had given him. Instead, he turned his attention toward the direction of the lines of the remaining knights of the Kingdom of Crotoa and asked in a rather conversational tone, “Anyone else?”</p>
<p>He could tell that there are a lot of them who wished to challenge him at that moment, and he was sure that at least half a dozen of them or more would have changed him at that moment, but before they could actually do so, they were stopped by a single word from the lips of the man who was supposed to be the ruler of this planet, “Stop,” Duke Ryan said.</p>
<p>The confused expression on the faces of his men caused a small smile to form on the face of Lord Alexander, and he was quite certain that some of the knights – particularly, those who are just a moment or two away from attacking him – would have protested at that moment, but the Duke of Winnipeg did exactly as he was supposed to do in the situation that he had found himself in, and in the interest of preserving the lives of the people around him, “Drop your weapons,” he said, and the command was directed toward the direction of the knights who are with him.</p>
<p>Even if he is the Duke of Winnipeg, however, there are some knights here who are, technically, not under his authority, and it is those people who did not obey the command that they are given right away. Faced with the man who had killed two of their members – including their Knight-General – without breaking a sweat, and the armored knights that said man had brought with him, however, most of them finally dropped their weapons, and as the first members of the knight order dropped their weapons, even those who are more inclined to resist finally began to drop their weapons as well.</p>
<p>Lord Alexander watched as Duke Ryan turned his attention toward him, and that prompted the Duke of Olympia to turn his attention as well, though a few moments later, he quickly turned his attention away from his counterpart toward the direction of the line of knights, and he turned his attention toward that direction just in time to see that beautiful young woman that he had wanted to claim as his own pick up the sword of her fallen fiancée.</p>
<p>She must have realized that he was looking at her, however, because she actually paused after she had brought the sword up, and he saw the expression on her face turn to one of determination a few moments later. That look that she had on her face at that moment told him what she was about to do, and it was precisely for that reason why he was not the least bit surprised when she suddenly let out a scream before she actually charged him while wielding the sword of a man that he had killed in front of her.</p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Lady Ava found herself dealing with the aftermath of the actions of Lady Ellie before Sir Ian asks her if she know anything about their attackers.<br/>Lady Emma found herself without options as even her option to end her life has been taken away from her.<br/>Rear Admiral Ashford receives orders to take care of the prize of his commanding officer, but opts instead to stay and deliver a rather important message.<br/>Lady Ellie joins Lady Ava and Sir Ian, only to be informed that something had happened in the communications room.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>SEVEN</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Class Overview</strong>
</p><p><strong>Name: </strong><em>Seraphim</em>-class Large Cruiser</p><p><strong>Operator: </strong>Imperial Terra Navy</p><p><strong>Preceded by</strong>: <em>Cambrai</em>-class Large Cruiser</p><p>
  <strong>Succeeded by:</strong>
</p><p><strong>Cost</strong>: 19.588 million credits</p><p><strong>Planned: </strong>~12</p><p>
  <strong>Historical Overview</strong>
</p><p><strong>Name</strong>: <em>Seraphim</em></p><p><strong>Namesake: </strong>the highest angelic class in Christian Angelogy</p><p><strong>Ordered: </strong>May 17, 1950 AE</p><p><strong>Designer: </strong>George Manstein &amp; Ferdinand Sevilla Ship Construction and Repair Corporation (GMFS Corporation)</p><p><strong>Builder: </strong>Imperium Naval Shipyards, Utopia Planitia Shipyards, Mars, Avalon System, Holy Empire of Terra</p><p><strong>Laid Down: </strong>June 18, 1950 AE</p><p><strong>Launched</strong>: December 21, 1950 AE</p><p><strong>Commissioned</strong>: (Pending)</p><p><strong>Decommission</strong>: -</p><p><strong>Identification</strong>: Pennant Number CB(X) (Temporary)</p><p><strong>Motto: </strong>(Pending)</p><p><strong>Fate</strong>:</p><p>
  <strong>General Characteristics</strong>
</p><p><strong>Class and Type</strong>: <em>Seraphim</em>-class Large Cruiser</p><p><strong>Displacement: </strong>30,110 tons (light), 33,848 tons (standard), 36,745 tons (normal), 39,063 tons (maximum)</p><p><strong>Length</strong>: 204 meters (669.3 feet)</p><p><strong>Beam</strong>: 38.4 meters (126.25 feet)</p><p><strong>Height (Hull Only): </strong>18.9 meters (62 feet)</p><p><strong>Power: </strong>64,926 ghp (limited)</p><p><strong>Propulsion</strong>: Orion Propulsion MCBR-9N Nuclear Fusion Engines (x4), Theodyne-Marciano-Uddercraft G-12D Electric Generators (x12), Warsilla-Royce CB-4C Ion Thrust Maneuver Propulsion Drive (x3)</p><p><strong>Speed: </strong>25 sKn (74,948,114.5 kilometers per hour); 15 sKn (44,968,868.7 kilometers per hour)</p><p><strong>FTL Drive: </strong>Senodyne Industries Ltd Mk-IIA Warp Drive; Kilmer &amp; Kilmer Industries Ltd. Spec.A-III Hyper-drive</p><p><strong>Endurance: </strong>416 days at 15 sKn (44,968,868.7 kilometers per hour)</p><p><strong>Complement</strong>: 1326 (standard), 1725 (maximum)</p><p><strong>Armament: </strong>9 – 13.5’/45 mass-drivers (main battery); 20 – 5.25’/45 rail-cannons (secondary battery); 20 – 3’/70 anti-aircraft guns (heavy anti-aircraft cannons); 80 – 0.98’/75 anti-aircraft guns (light anti-aircraft guns); 16 – 24’/27 ‘Blue Whale’ torpedoes</p><p><strong>Armor</strong>: (Main Belt) 12’; (Lower Belt) 9’; (Deck) 5’; (Main Turrets) 12’; (Barbettes) 12’</p><p><strong>Aviation Facilities: </strong>4 – UH-9M ‘Geese’ shuttle</p><p>
  <strong>Design and Description</strong>
</p><p>The <em>Seraphim</em>-class large cruiser design was the result of a design process that began in 1948 AE with the same design process that resulted to the relatively smaller <em>Cambrai</em>-class large cruiser. The primary difference between the <em>Seraphim</em>-class and the <em>Cambrai</em>-class large cruisers would be the size of the main battery with the former coming equipped with the larger caliber mass-driver guns.</p><p>In March of 1948 AE, after the announcement of the New Generation Large Cruiser Construction Program, the two largest shipbuilding corporations in the Holy Empire of Terra had quickly indicated their intention to join and win the competition for themselves, though by April of 1948 AE, Mitsui Shipbuilding Corporation had already bowed out of the competition because of the sheer number of destroyer orders that they had received that same year making it impossible for them to actually construct a ship on their yards even if they are the win the competition.</p><p>With the withdrawal of Mitsui Shipbuilding Corporation, GMFS Corporation became the strongest rival for Podmore, Black, and Stilles Shipbuilding, with GMFS submitting their design by mid-April of 1948 AE. The design submitted by GMFS was not met with favor from the members of the Bureau of Construction who considered a design having a main battery with a caliber larger than twelve-inches as a battleship design, but the members of the board were impressed enough with the design to order a single prototype that would later become the <em>Seraphim</em>.</p><p>In the interim, the design submitted by Podmore, Black, and Stilles Shipbuilding was selected as the winner of the competition and would go on to become the basis of the <em>Cambrai-</em>class large cruiser.</p><p> Approval for construction came on May 17, 1950 AE, with construction itself beginning a month later on June 18, 1950AE in Dock 22-A of the Utopia Planitia Shipyards in Mars orbit. She was launched six months and three day later on December 21, 1950 AE, with the final phrases of construction finishing on March 21, 1951 AE, two weeks after the opening of the Great Terran Crusade.</p><p>
  <strong>Propulsion</strong>
</p><p>The <em>Seraphim</em> is equipped with four Orion Propulsion MCBN-9N lightweight nuclear fusion engines, each capable of producing around 17,000 ghp at full output, though they are rarely run at maximum output in order to preserve the life of the engines.</p><p>The MCBN-9N is a fifth generation lightweight nuclear fusion engine, a direct development of the heavier, though less efficient MCBN-9D reactors that equip its predecessor <em>Cambrai</em>-class and <em>Calais</em>-class large cruisers. It is significantly lighter and more efficient, though at the time of the first installation of the engine upon the <em>Seraphim</em>, it is considered experimental and subject to several teething problems.</p><p>The power plants are situated in four main propulsion engine rooms located to the aft of the vessel and connected to twelve Theodyne-Marciano-Uddercraft G-12D Electric Generators. As with the fusion engines, these are fifth-generation electric generators, though of a more proven quality than the main power-planet even at the time of the installation. Two generators supply power to each of the three Warsilla-Royce CB-4C Ion Thrust Maneuver Propulsion Drive which accelerate the ship up to a maximum speed of 24% of light-second speed, though the more economical setting would be at a relatively lower speed of 15% of light-second speed.</p><p>The six other generators provide power to the maneuver thrusters of the ship as well as providing for the electrical requirements for the various systems and living needs of the members of the crew.</p><p>
  <strong>Armament</strong>
</p><p>
  <span class="u">Main Battery</span>
</p><p>The main battery of the <em>Seraphim</em>-class of large cruisers would be the Mk XIII S mass-drivers. Development of this weapon began in August 1949 and is based on the last 13.5’ weapon – the Mk XIII O – used by the Imperial Fleet. The weapon is 45 calibers – 50.5 feet – long from muzzle to chamber and is capable of firing a projectile weighing 1,500 pounds.</p><p>These weapons are mounted on the centerline of the ship, with the ‘A’ and ‘B’ turrets super-firing on the fore of the vessel, with ‘Y’ turret located aft of the vessel. Each turret has three independently targetable gun, with each gun provided with two hundred rounds for ammunition. Each gun is capable of firing two rounds per minute.</p><p>
  <span class="u">Secondary Battery </span>
</p><p>The secondary battery of the <em>Seraphim</em>-class of large cruisers would be the Mark V-II D rail-cannons. First deployed in 1942 AE, this 5.25’/45 rail-cannon is capable of firing 75-pound ammunition at a maximum rate of eight rounds per minute, with each gun being supplied with four hundred rounds of ammunition, typically in an equal mix of armor-piercing high explosive and self-fragmenting anti-aircraft rounds.</p><p>The rail-cannons are mounted on ten turrets – with each turret having two independently sprung and targetable guns – located amidships and to the sides of the ship, with four of these turrets mounted higher than the other six.</p><p>
  <span class="u">Anti-Aircraft Battery</span>
</p><p>As was typical of an Imperial Terra warship, the <em>Seraphim</em>-class of large cruisers carry two types of anti-aircraft weapons categorized as either the heavy or the light anti-aircraft weapon.</p><p>The heavy anti-aircraft weapon role is filled by the M1948 3’/70 anti-aircraft cannon. First deployed in 1948, the <em>Seraphim</em>-class carries twenty of these on single mounts located on the sides of the ship. Each gun is capable of sending a 17-pound self-fragmenting projectile at a maximum range of 20,000 yards, though the projectile is typically programed to fragment at less than half that range in order to protect the ship from incoming aircraft and torpedoes.</p><p>The light anti-aircraft weapon role is filled by the M1935 0.98’/75 anti-aircraft gun. Capable of firing two hundred rounds per minute, each gun is supplied with ten thousand rounds of armor-piercing flash-incendiary rounds designed to flash-burn aircraft components upon contact. These guns are intended for short-range defenses and is mounted on forty twin mountings located on the sides and the centerline of the ship.</p><p>
  <span class="u">Torpedoes</span>
</p><p>The <em>Seraphim</em>-class of large cruisers is the first capital ship in the Holy Empire of Terra equipped to carry and deploy torpedoes in battle, though it is still limited. The <em>Seraphim</em> carries two quad-torpedo launchers – one on each side of the ship – amidships, with each tube capable of firing the 24’/27 ‘Blue Whale’ heavy anti-ship torpedo. This heavy torpedo – first deployed in 1942 AE – has an explosive charge of 1,200 pounds and a 38-sKn top speed for a range of twelve kilometers.</p><p>She also carries enough reloads for another full salvo of torpedoes after firing the ready battery.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Facility 0-B-17, Pence Castle, Madison City</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Serendipity, Stenlar Star System, Kingdom of Crotoa</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Lady Elizabeth ‘Ava’ Pence</strong>
</p><p>It was hard for her to label the actions of the young woman in front of her as negative, because if she was being honest, Lady Ava would have to admit that she most likely would have done the exact same thing as the Marchioness of Havenstark had done, though even as that thought entered the forefront of her mind, the Countess of Madison, she could not help but remind herself that the effect of her admitting to their enemy – for there is no doubt that those people who are at the other side of the communication link are their enemies – her identity would be different from the effect of the Marchioness admitting who she is.</p><p>The Countess of Madison mentally shook her head at the same time that she turned her attention toward the knight that had accompanied them into this part of this relatively small ship, and even though Lady Ava – or anyone else for that matter – had not asked any question, the expression on the face of Sir Malcolm easily advertised to her that he is blaming himself for the slip-up that had happened, though privately, Lady Ava could not help but note that even if Sir Malcolm had known what would happen, he still would not have been able to stop Lady Ellie, any more than Lady Ava herself could have stopped Lady Ellie from saying what she had said.</p><p>There was also the rather obvious fact that the words that have escaped from the lips of the Marchioness had not been planned – or at least, not planned in the way that it had come out – and had only been said because she was getting frustrated by the fact that the people that she wanted to speak with was not replying to any of her attempts to open communications with them.</p><p>It would appear that even though the Marchioness of Havenstark has a reputation for having a long patience – and it was the reason why some of the nobles in the Kingdom had asked for her to become the tutor of their daughters, aside, of course, from the fact that she is the eldest niece of the King – it was not infinite, and when her patience runs out, the results could be rather catastrophic.</p><p>Lady Ava returned her attention toward the direction of the radio, and considered the irony of the situation that she – and the others – were in. Just a few minutes ago, they were trying their best to get the people who are at the other side of the communication link that they had established to answer them, but now, they are actually praying that the people at the other side would not talk back to them, as it was rather obvious that if they were to talk back, it would be confirmation that they had received the last message that the Marchioness had sent.</p><p>‘<em>In other words, so long as we do not have confirmation, we can pretend that they have not received that message,’</em> Lady Ava thought, and as that thought entered the forefront of her mind, she could not help but frown, or at least, she would have frowned if not for the fact that she was able to stop her features from morphing into one.</p><p>There was silence inside the communication room as after Sir Malcolm had given his impressions – and it was not that much as the knight cited the fact that they had refused to even speak with them as an excuse to not give any definitive answer – no one had said anything. Sir Ian had not bothered to ask Lady Ava about her impressions, though there was a moment when he looked as if he wanted to before she caught him shaking his head as if he had thought better of it.</p><p>Strangely, however, when she saw him shaking his head, she had the impression that she refrained from asking her not because he thought that she would have given him a nonsense answer, rather, she had the impression that he would prefer to ask her later, but when that later would be, the Countess does not know, and as the time passed, she asked herself if she had made the wrong assessment in regards to that case.</p><p>The Countess of Madison returned to the present at the same time that she returned her attention toward the direction of the Marchioness just in time to see her still looking toward the direction of Sir Ian with an expression of defeat on her face. It was an expression that Lady Ava knew for a fact was very rare to see upon the face of the Marchioness of Havenstark, and if she was being honest, the Countess would have to admit that she had never thought that she would actually be able to see it for herself.</p><p>Lady Ava turned her attention toward the direction of Sir Ian at that moment, and was not surprised to see that he had turned his attention away from the Marchioness even as she told herself that if the Marchioness was giving her that look, then even she would have turned her attention away.</p><p>As she focused her gaze upon the direction of the vice-commander, she found herself asking why he was there, because there was a reason for him to be there, and it was not so that he could stop Lady Ellie from further compromising the position that they were in. The eyes of Lady Ava widened a few moments later as she realized that the reason for the presence of the vice-commander was so that he could give that report that he told Lady Ellie he would take from his men before he allowed them to leave, but, for one reason or another, it would appear that he was not going to make the report.</p><p>She took a step toward him, and as she had expected, he turned his attention toward her at the same time that he placed a questioning expression on his face. That expression was the only thing that she needed to see in order to be certain that he was about to ask her if there was anything that she needed, and she actually found herself wondering if he would ask that question verbally, or if he would just raise one of his eyebrows at her.</p><p>At the same time, however, the door to the communications room – which the vice-commander had closed behind him when he walked into the same and before he launched his broadside in reaction to the last message that Lady Ellie had sent through the communications equipment – opened, and whether or not the vice-commander was going to ask the question using words or not was the least of the worries of the Countess of Madison as she found herself turning her attention toward the direction of the door.</p><p>There was a part of her that was, at that moment, wondering how their pursuers had already managed to catch up to them when not even ten minutes had passed since Lady Ellie had compromised their position, but then she told herself that it was not only their pursuers who are outside of the communications room where they were in, and she was forcibly reminded of that when she saw the two ladies who had opened the door.</p><p>Lady Ava would have to admit that she knew the names of the two ladies, but at the same time, she was not as close to them as she had been with Lady Emma or with Lady Ellie herself. It was for that reason that the Countess of Madison had not bothered to actually form any sort of relationship with them aside from casual acquaintance, and these two ladies had also made it clear that they are not interested themselves.</p><p>The two ladies-in-waiting – who are actually the remaining ladies-in-waiting to the Marchioness of Havenstark – made their way to the side of the Marchioness and for a brief moment, the Countess of Madison watched them, though she was quick to turn her attention away from that scene a few moments later when, using her peripheral vision, she saw the vice-commander turn his attention toward the direction of the door.</p><p>By the time that Lady Ava had managed to turn her attention toward the direction of the vice-commander, he was already walking toward the direction of the egress point, but after he had taken two steps, it seemed as if he thought better of it, and he paused. It soon became obvious, however, that the reason why he had paused was so that he could turn his attention toward his subordinate, and with a simple incline of his head toward the direction of Sir Malcolm, the vice-commander ordered his subordinate to follow after him.</p><p>Sir Malcolm did not say anything – indeed, from the expression on the face of the other knight, it was rather obvious that there was a part of him that was rather glad that he was given permission to leave – before he stood from where he was seated, but because he was seated close to the Marchioness of Havenstark, his movement was something that Lady Ellie had seen, and for one reason or another, she reacted to that by turning her attention toward the direction of the vice-commander.</p><p>There was already a questioning expression on the face of Lady Ellie by the time that she had turned her attention toward the direction of Sir Ian, and unlike the Countess of Madison, Lady Ellie is someone whom not even the vice-commander of a knight-order detachment could ignore.</p><p>“My Lady,” Sir Ian said in response, “We have to check up on other supplies for now.”</p><p>‘<em>Lie,’ </em>the Countess of Madison thought, though she could understand why he wanted to get out of the communication room with his subordinate.</p><p>Perhaps it was because there was a time when Lady Ellie had been hosted by the House of Watts – the same place where Lady Emma came from and the place where Sir Ian had trained before becoming a knight – but it was obvious from the expression on the face of the Marchioness that made it clear that she did not buy the excuse that the vice-commander had just given.</p><p>Even if that was the case, however, she still gave Sir Ian a nod, and even Lady Ava would have to admit to feeling a bit of surprise when she did that. By the time that she had recovered from the surprise that she had felt, however, Sir Ian had already politely inclined his head toward the direction of the Marchioness, and by the time that she had fixed her gaze upon the direction of Sir Ian, the knight had already turned her back toward Lady Ellie.</p><p>A second later, he started to walk toward the direction of the egress, and as he did so, the Countess of Madison found herself wishing that she could follow after him.</p><p>She refrained from doing that, however, and instead, he turned his attention back toward the Marchioness of Havenstark. At that point, there was a neutral look on her face even as her remaining ladies-in-waiting tried to engage her in conversation, but it was precisely that neutral expression that she was wearing that told Lady Ava that the Marchioness was irritated. It was also abundantly clear that the irritation that the Marchioness was feeling at that moment had nothing to do with the actions that the vice-commander had taken had more to do with the actions of her two remaining ladies-in-waiting.</p><p>Lady Ava told herself that she could have listened to the conversation – or at least, the attempts of the other ladies to start one – that was happening around the Marchioness, but she did not even bother, because at that moment, the space at the forefront of her mind was occupied by other things that she would have labelled as far more important than listening to ladies-in-waiting asking the lady that they are supposed to be serving when they could leave the planet.</p><p>As she drowned out the low conversation between the other people who are with her, the Countess of Madison thought about some of the old books that she had read, in particular, she was trying to remember if even just one of those books had postulated on the possibility of the identity of their attackers, but after a few moments, she found herself having to fight the urge to let out a hiss of irritation – that would have been quite a show if she had allowed that hiss to escape from her lips – as she conceded to herself that not a single one of the books that she had read could provide her with definitive evidence to back up her theory.</p><p>Even if there was one book, however, that would have given her with definitive evidence that they are being attacked by the descendants of those who had been left behind on Terra, it actually would not answer the real question that was at the forefront of the mind of the Countess, and that question had always been, ‘<em>Why bother to land troops on the surface?’</em></p><p>The Countess of Madison has no military experience, so she may not be the best person to answer that question, but she had read countless anecdotes of past military campaigns as part of her studies, and in all of those anecdotes, the writers have made it clear that there was no need for a military force to land a force on the surface of the planet in order to win. It made sense too, considering that everything that can be gained by a force on the surface could be easily overturned by a few minutes or orbital bombardment.</p><p>‘<em>That means that there is a reason for them come down to the surface,’</em> she thought, but exactly what that is, she would readily admit that she did not know. Just because she did not know, however, does not mean that she should stop trying to figure out what that something is, and she returned to the present at the same time that she blinked.</p><p>Lady Ava turned her attention toward the direction of Lady Ellie, and she blinked again when she saw that the Marchioness of Havenstark was looking at her with a questioning expression on her face. As the Marchioness was looking at her, however, it also means that the two other ladies-in-waiting who are with her at that moment was also looking at her, though the expression that those ladies are wearing were not so much as the questioning one that the Marchioness was wearing, and more an expression that clearly advertised the fact that they are irritated.</p><p>The Countess of Madison ignored the two ladies-in-waiting, focusing her attention instead toward the direction of the Marchioness, and as soon as their eyes met, Lady Ava politely inclined her head toward the direction and though she did not say anything, she was certain that the Marchioness of Havenstark would understand that the reason why Lady Ava inclined her head was because she was asking for permission to speak.</p><p>Of course, the frown that appeared on the face of the Marchioness a few moments later was a testament to that, because that was the kind of frown that the Marchioness would have given before reminding Lady Ava that she did not need to ask permission before she can say something.</p><p>Lady Ava did not wait for the Marchioness to say anything – and part of the reason for that was because she was sure that the two ladies who are attending to the Marchioness would have protested – before she stood and said, “My Lady, if you would excuse me for a while?”</p><p>The expression on the face of the two ladies-in-waiting was exactly as the Countess of Madison had expected, but Lady Ava focused his attention upon the Marchioness of Havenstark as she is the only one who mattered. The expression on the face of Lady Ellie actually told the Countess that Lady Ellie actually wanted to ask Lady Ava where the latter would be going, but after a few moments, she simply inclined her head toward the direction of Lady Ava, and the Countess interpreted that as permission on the part of the Marchioness.</p><p>Perhaps it was to spite the two other ladies in the room with them at the moment, but instead of curtseying in front of the Marchioness, Lady Ava simply bowed before she turned her attention toward the same egress point that the vice-commander and his subordinate – after all, it was the only egress point – had used to leave the room, quite certain that if she were to turn her attention toward the direction of Lady Ellie at the moment, she would have seen the shocked and angry expressions on the faces of her two remaining ladies-in-waiting.</p><p>Lady Ava would have to admit that she did feel bad about walking out of the room at that moment, though the reason that she felt bad was because she knew that by walking out of the room the moment that she had, she had left the Marchioness with no choice but to deal with the indignant ladies-in-waiting on her own, though the Countess was quick to remind herself that if there is anyone in their party at that moment who could control those ladies-in-waiting, it was precisely the Marchioness.</p><p>As she walked out of the room, she closed the door behind her, having no intention of listening to the complaints that she was sure would be coming out of the lips of the two ladies-in-waiting in regards to the actions that the Countess had taken. As soon as she heard the door close behind her, she turned her attention toward her left-hand side, the direction that would take her deeper into the interior of the ship that she was on, and as she took her first tentative steps toward that direction, she told herself that the reason that she had left the room was not just because she did not want to be in the company of the other ladies-in-waiting, but because she actually wanted to find a computer terminal and use it to do some simple searches.</p><p>That, however, would have to depend on whether or not the computer that she would find would be connected to the local global network, though she had no reason to believe that that would not be the case.</p><p>The intentions of the Countess of Madison, however, were put on hold a few moments later when she saw that there was someone who was waiting for her down the corridor that she had chosen to walk through, and a single look upon the expression that was written on the face of Sir Ian was all that she needed in order to confirm that she would not actually be able to bluff her way past him. Fortunately, she also knew that he was not there to stop her, rather, the reason that he was there was because he wanted to ask her a question, and with a start, the Countess realized that the question that the vice-commander wanted to ask her at that moment would be the same question that he had refrained from asking her back when they were in the communications suite.</p><p>In other words, she was reasonably certain that the question that he was about to ask her would be about her impression of the people who had, without warning and for no discernable reason, attacked them.</p><p>Lady Ava returned to the present at the same time that she politely inclined her head toward the direction of the vice-commander, and she could tell that she had taken him by surprise as he did not say anything right away. Indeed, it would appear that the actions of the Countess of Madison and taken him aback well enough that, for a few moments, he actually did not say anything, allowing Lady Ava to be the one to open the actual conversation.</p><p>“It looks like there is a question that you want to ask of me, vice-commander,” the Countess said a few moments later, and because she asked that question while she was looking at the direction of the face of the vice-commander, she could tell that her asking him that question had caused him to come out of a reverie. Usually, Lady Ava would have taken advantage of that in order to ask another question, but this time, she refrained from doing so.</p><p>The nod of Sir Ian came a few moments later, though even if that was the case, he still did not say anything for a few moments. She was unsure if the reason for that was because he was waiting to see if she was going to continue speaking or if it was because he was still trying to gather his thoughts, but after a few moments, he made it unnecessary for the Countess to wonder about that as he said, “I have the feeling that you are aware of the identity of these attackers, my lady.”</p><p>This caused the Countess to stare at him, and Lady Ava would have to admit that the reason that she found herself staring at him was because she was trying to decide if he was accusing or. It only took her a few moments, however, before she concluded that he had kept his tone as neutral as possible and that he was not accusing her of colluding with their attackers. With a small smile – and she took care not to allow Sir Ian to see that smile – she told herself that if he really thought that she was colluding with their attackers, then he most likely would not be confronting her on his own at that moment.</p><p>The Countess shook her head a few moments later, and she could tell that she caught him by surprise yet again. This time, however, Lady Ava did not bother to pause as she said, “I have my suspicions, Sir, but I am by no means certain,” she turned her attention to him and with an ironic smile, she added, “Indeed, there is a part of me that find it difficult to accept this particular suspicion as an answer.”</p><p>Sir Ian did not reply right away, though the next words that echoed around the corridor where they were did escape from his lips as he asked, “No matter how improbably it is, would you please tell me?”</p><p>Lady Ava turned her attention toward the direction of the vice-commander at that moment, fixing her blue eyes upon his green ones. She would have to admit that she was searching for something on the eyes of the vice-commander, though exactly what it was that she was searching for, even she does not know.</p><p>Perhaps she was searching for a sign on his orbs that would have told him that he would have accepted what she was about to say, though at the same time that that thought entered the forefront of the mind of the Countess, she fought the urge to sigh as she reminded herself that even she was having a hard time accepting this suspicion – which was why she wanted to read on some books available through the global network in the first place – and she was the proponent of this possibility, albeit she had not actually presented her suspicion to anyone else.</p><p>Realizing, however, that she would have to share it to the vice-commander, she finally averted her gaze from him a few moments later, and the sigh that escaped from her lips a second or two after she had removed her gaze from his bright green eyes was, if she was being honest, a theatrical one.</p><p>Still, she did not give the vice-commander a chance to say anything before she pushed the words out of her mouth, “They came from the direction of the Sirius System, and that system has a hyperlink connection to at least one of the Dark Systems,” the expression on the face of Sir Ian changed at that moment, and that was all that the Countess needed to see in order to be sure that he could tell where she was driving at.</p><p>The Countess, however, did not give him the chance to say anything as she added, “Terra, I suspect that the attackers came from Terra, the birthplace of humanity.”</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Great Hall, Pence Castle, Madison City</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Serendipity, Stenlar Star System, Kingdom of Crotoa</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Lady Emma Charlotte Watts</strong>
</p><p>The sword was heavy on her hands and she would have to admit that as she swung it above her head, she had to call upon all of her strength. When she run toward the direction of the man who had killed her fiancée – screaming as she did so – it took almost all of her strength to keep the sword from causing her to fall backward, and when she judged that she was near enough her target, she swung the sword down, once more calling upon all her strength in order to do so, though even she would have to admit that as she brought the weapon down, it actually felt as if she was actually being carried by the momentum of her downward swing more than anything else.</p><p>She would not have minded that, however, so long as she could be sure that she could hit the man who had killed her fiancée, and for a brief moment, she could actually say that she was successful in the mission that she had given herself in desperation because the man in front of her did not move. She mentally prepared herself for the feeling that she was sure would come when the blade of the sword of the man that she loved – and still love – would make contact with the top of the head of the man who had killed her fiancée – for said man was not wearing a helmet – when the sound of metal hitting another piece of solid metal echoed around the hall.</p><p>It actually took Lady Emma a few moments to realize that the sound that had echoed in her ears would actually be the sound of the sword that she was carrying being intercepted by another sword, and as her eyes widened in realization, she found herself to turn her attention, not toward the direction of where the sound had come from, but toward the face of the man in front of her, because she knew that the sword that had intercepted the one that she had tried to attack him with was the one that he was holding, and she simply had to look at the direction of his face once in order to confirm that that was indeed the case.</p><p>She was not sure if she should feel insulted by the fact that while it took all of her strength to carry the sword of her dead fiancée – and indeed, she was holding onto the handle of the same with both of her hands – he only had to use a single hand in order to block against the blow that she wanted to give him, and as if to add further insult to the humiliation that she was feeling at that moment, she felt him push her away from him with the use of the sword.</p><p>Lady Emma tried to hold her ground, but his obviously superior strength to him – helped, no doubt, by the armor that he was wearing – and the weight of the sword that she was holding proved too much. She did not know why, but she decided to remove her grip from the handle of the sword, and the result of that was the weapon being flying off to her side. She turned her gaze toward the direction of the flying sword and watched as it arched through the air before landing a good fifteen feet or so away from where she stood.</p><p>The Countess of Gray Haven had watched sword duels – practice duels, of course – to know that she was open to a follow-up attack from the man that she had just tried to kill, and while she knew that the position that she was in at that moment was a position that most knights would rather not find themselves in, the Countess was actually rather pleased that she was in that position.</p><p>Aside from the fact that she is not a knight, there is also the fact that, at that moment, she actually wanted the man in front of her to kill him, after all, there was no reason for her to remain in this plane of existence now that the man that she loves was dead.</p><p>She would be sorely disappointed, however, because the man that she had tried to kill did not follow up. She felt no blade slashing through any part of her body, even if, at that moment, that was exactly what she wanted to feel.</p><p>The Countess was quick to realize that it was a mistake for her to turn her attention away from the man in front of her, and a few moments later, she hurriedly turned her gaze back toward his direction, but even she would have to admit that the only reason that she was able to remind herself that she has to keep her attention focused upon the man who had killed her fiancée was because said man took a step toward her.</p><p>By the time that Lady Emma was able to turn her attention back toward that direction, however, it was already too late, and a gasp escaped from her lips as she felt her left hand cover the entirety of her right wrist. She had barely managed to note that with her conscious thought before she found herself being pulled toward him, and a few moments later, another gasp escaped from her lips as she felt her front crash against the armor that he was wearing.</p><p>It was hardly her first time finding herself leaning against combat armor – after all, Sir Leo had worn armor like this – but she was struck by how different this armor was. Combat armor was made out of strong but lightweight material in order to ensure not only maximum protection for those who would wear them, but also to allow those same men to be able to move around relatively quickly. What made this armor that she now found herself leaning against, however, was the fact that it was softer than the one that she was used to, and yet, even if that was the case, she had the distinct impression that it was better than the one worn by members of the Knight-Orders of the Kingdom of Crotoa.</p><p>Lady Emma blinked at that moment, and at the same time that she did so, she reminded herself of where she was and what she was leaning against. It was more than enough for her to want to place distance between herself and the admittedly rather solid body that she was leaning against, but despite her best attempts, she soon found herself unable to move as the man that she was leaning against had brought his free hand up and used it in such a way as to pin her against him.</p><p>She was well aware that he was practically embracing her, and with another blink, she realized that that was exactly the kind of impression that he wanted to give to those who are around them. The actions on the part of this man once more made the Countess of Gray Haven wonder if the reason for the attack had more to do with her, than with anything else, but then she shook her head – mentally – even as she heard her own voice from behind her head, telling her that such was her ego talking, as there is no way that that was true.</p><p>At the same time, however, she shivered as she realized that if that was actually the case, then the burden that that would place on her shoulders would be considerable, after all, it was not only her fiancée who had died as a result of this attack.</p><p>Lady Emma was forced out of the reverie that she had not even realized she had fallen into a few moments later as she felt the arm that was behind her move. She supposed that she could push herself away from him now, and indeed, that was the next thing that she was about to do, but before she could actually push herself away from him, she was forced to pause as he gently pushed her away, though unlike the plan of Lady Emma to place as much distance between herself and this man, he simply pushed her away until she was a few inches away from him.</p><p>“Such hands,” he said with a smile on his face, and she was forced to see the smile on his face at that moment because when he spoke, she found her gaze turning toward his face. As she fixed her gaze upon his visage, he continued, “should not have to hold a sword.”</p><p>This caused Lady Emma to blink and without warning, he once more pulled her closer to him, embracing her with his left arm once more. As it had not been a move that she had been expecting, the Countess was unable to resist what he had done, but she was also quick to remind herself that even if she had seen what he was about to do, there was still no way that she could have stopped him from pulling her closer toward him.</p><p>As she felt her front once more make contract with the armor that he was wearing, she also felt him place his chin over one of her shoulders. Given the difference in their height, it was obviously a deliberate move on his part, and she got more proof that that is actually the case a few moments later when she felt – rather than see or even hear – him speak directly into her ears, “It would be better for you to use those hands for my pleasure, my Lady,” he said.</p><p>Although he had added an honorific at the end of the words that have escaped from his mouth, to the Countess of Gray Haven, it felt as if the honorific was intended to insult her. Of course, as her thoughts turned toward the actual words that he had used, she was forced to forget about the honorific, and to her surprise, she was actually able to push him away from her a few moments later.</p><p>The reason for the surprise that she felt was because she was certain that she would not have been able to push her away, after all, she had already tried to do that, and had already failed. It took her less than a moment, however, to realize that the reason that she was able to push him away from her was precisely because he wanted her to push him away from her.</p><p>This time, the distance that separated her from the man in front of her who had already indicated his desire to have her for his own was a good two or three feet. That distance somehow empowered the Countess of Gray Haven – not that she would have admitted that she felt powerless when she was so near to him – and using that newfound strength, she was able to place a snarling expression on her face as she replied, “I would rather die,” to the words that he had whispered directly onto his ears.</p><p>She was sure that he would have said something that he would have thought was clever in order to scare her against actually killing herself, and Lady Emma would readily admit that there was a part of her that was actually scared of going down that path, though at the same time that that part of her that was afraid had tried to manifest itself, the Countess turned her attention toward the headless corpse of the man that she loved, and that was more than enough to steel her resolve.</p><p>If the man that she loves was already dead, then there was precious little reason for her to remain alive, and while there was a part of her that was concerned about Lady Ellie, she was sure that Sir Ian would do everything in his power to keep her safe.</p><p>A few moments later, the Countess of Gray Haven actually found herself thinking about the best way to kill herself, and she glanced toward the direction of the formation behind the man in front of her, though she was quick to realize that even if she were to charge at them, they would not kill her, after all, their leader had made it clear that he wanted her for himself, and she did not imagine that he neglected to tell them that she is to be taken alive.</p><p>Just because he could not depend upon her enemies to kill her, however, does not mean that she was out of options, and once more, the Countess turned her attention toward the headless corpse of her fiancée, though in that instance, she was actually looking at the direction of the small knife that she knew he kept on the soles of his boots.</p><p>She was, however, forced out of her reverie a few moments later when she heard a barely audible sound coming from the direction in front of her, and when she turned her attention toward that direction, the first thing that she actually saw would be the smile that was on the face of the man who had labelled himself as the Duke of Olympia. That smile caused Lady Emma to pause for a few moments, but it was apparently more than enough to make him realize what she was about to do.</p><p>“I suppose you could exercise your right to end your life,” she heard him say a few moments later, and she would have to admit that she was struck by the fact that he did not even sound as if he was trying to stop her. Indeed, the first impression that the Countess had when she heard him speak was that he was actually encouraging her. He was, however, not yet done speaking, “but I feel the need to remind you that every action you take would always have a consequence, and you, my dear, who had been chosen to become the trophy of a member of the Imperial House of Terra, that consequence would be rather high.”</p><p>He paused, and it was obvious to Lady Emma that he was waiting for her to ask him to elaborate on the threat. Of course, the Countess did not want to ask him what he meant, but at the same time, she realized that she has to ask, if only to satisfy her curiosity. Still, she resolved to ask him the question in the most disrespectful way possible.</p><p>“And what kind of consequence could a pirate like you think of?” she asked.</p><p>In response to that rather deliberate insult, the smile on his face widened, though if she was being honest, Lady Emma would have to admit that she had expected that response from him. What she did not expect was the response from the men around him who are obviously his subordinates, because rather than be insulted for the sake of their commanding officer, they did not move. They were all wearing headgears so it was impossible for her to actually see the expression on their faces, but even if that was the case, she was certain that they were actually smiling at her at that moment.</p><p>She turned her attention toward the direction of the man in front of her as she heard him clear his throat once more, and by the time that she was able to focus her attention upon him, he was already speaking, “The consequence of you killing yourself, my dear, would be the lives of every person on this planet,” he said, and he said that in a matter-of-factly voice that Lady Emma found herself staring at him with an incredulous expression after she blinked once.</p><p>The expression that he was wearing at that moment was so serious that she could not even begin to believe that he was bluffing, but then she realized that there was no need for him to bluff since it was actually rather easy for him to make good that threat that he had just given her. She knew that they have full orbital control, and though they are at the surface of the planet at that moment, it would be easy for them to subject the planet to a full orbital bombardment with the end goal of wiping out all life on the surface.</p><p>‘<em>Am I really worth that much?’</em> Lady Emma asked herself at the same time that she turned her attention toward the visage of the Duke of Winnipeg. The expression that Duke Ryan was wearing at that moment told her that he believed that he was serious with the threat that he had given, and when the Duke realized that Lady Emma was looking at her, he turned his own gaze toward her.</p><p>Their eyes met and though no words escaped from the lips of the Duke of Winnipeg, Lady Emma was certain that, at that moment, he was begging her. That was more than enough for the Countess of Gray Haven to realize that the Duke took the threat seriously, but then again, she already knew that.</p><p>“Oh,” the Duke of Olympia suddenly said, and Lady Emma was forced to return her gaze upon his direction, only for her to see a wide smile on his face as he added, “It would also apply to other planets of the Kingdom of Crotoa that I would conquer in the pursuit of this campaign.”</p><p>She focused her gaze upon his own, and within a few moments, their eyes met. Indeed, she was so focused on his gaze that she was able to mentally note that his eyes are almost the same color as her own – dark brown in contrast to her chocolate brown ones – and she was also able to once more take note of the seriousness of the threat.</p><p>‘<em>Am I really worth that much?’</em> she asked herself, and though no words actually escaped from her mouth when she asked that question, a few moments later, she actually saw him nod. She did not think that he was answering the unasked question that she had posed, but, at that moment, it felt as if that was exactly what he was doing.</p><p>Lady Emma turned her attention away from him, focusing it toward the direction of the body of her fiancée, and for the first time in her life, the Countess actually found herself wishing for the impossible, because at that moment, the Countess could not help but wish that her dead fiancé would rise up from where he was lying down and come to defend her.</p><p>“You seem to be laboring under the impression that you have a choice on the matter, My Lady,” the voice of the Duke of Olympia once more forced Lady Emma out of her reverie, and she turned her attention toward his direction even as she parted her lips with the intention of saying something insulting, but before she could do so, she was forced to pause when she saw the wide smile that he was wearing. He was evidently aware that the smile that he was wearing at that moment would be more than enough to make her pause.</p><p>“You don’t,” he said a few moments later.</p><p>At that moment, he took a step toward her, and while the Countess willed herself to take a step back, she actually found herself unable to until a few moments later when he was but a foot away from her. At that moment, she was about to bolt but then found herself unable to once more, though this time, it was not because she was paralyzed, rather, it was because at that moment, her left arm was again looped around her shoulders, pinning her against him once more.</p><p>Naturally, the first reaction of Lady Emma was to once more try to get herself out of his grip, but once more, she found herself no match against his superior strength, and as soon as she accepted that, she stopped what she was doing, and instead, she just waited for him to once more place his chin against her shoulder.</p><p>She felt some sort of relief and accomplishment when he saw the surprised expression on his face a few moments later, with that expression the result of the fact that she turned her head so that the two of them were once more staring at each other, and before he could say anything, the Countess of Gray Haven suddenly said, “If you take me, I will not stop trying to kill you.”</p><p>He laughed silently, surprising the Countess and before she knew it, she felt his other hand against the back of her head. It was not long before he was using that hand to caress the back of her head – shocking her as to how gently he was doing it – but before she could say anything about it, she heard him speak, “no doubt,” before there was once more silence between the two of them.</p><p>That answer confused Lady Emma for a bit, but then she realized that he could give her that answer because of the threat that he had already given. She realized that his threat to kill every subject of the King of Crotoa in Serendipity applies not only if she were to kill herself, but also if she were to kill him.</p><p>It would appear, however, that he was not yet done speaking, because a few moments later, he added, “You’d most likely succeed as well.”</p><p>This caused Lady Emma to blink once again, and at that moment, she actually could not think of how she should respond to the words that have escaped from the lips of the man in front of her. She was quite certain, however, that she was the only one who had heard those latest words because he was still whispering those words and the only reason that she could hear him was because the two of them were practically occupying the same space.</p><p>The Countess was spared from having to respond to the words that have come out of the lips of the Duke, however, because a few moments later, he suddenly said, “If you want to succeed in that endeavor, however, you need to be Empress of Terra first, and it is only through me that you can achieve that.”</p><p>A shocked expression appeared on the face of the Countess of Gray Haven before she focused her gaze upon his visage once more. She was sure that the expression that she was wearing on her face at that moment was telling him that she was surprised by what he had just said, and in response to that surprised expression that she was wearing, the smile on his face widened even more.</p><p>She was quite certain that she was going to say something else, probably to explain what he meant, but though he did part his lips a few moments later, the words that escaped from his lips when he next spoke was not an explanation as to what he had already said.</p><p>It was at that moment that the Countess remembered what the Duke of Olympia and his subordinate had said before the duel had begun, because during that conversation, he had said that he actually does not care about the throne, yet, here he was, telling her that if she wanted to be Empress, then she has to work with him. The only way that that could happen is if he were to become Emperor, because she did not think that his people would ‘vote’ her into that particular office.</p><p>There is also the fact that for her to become Empress, that would mean that she would have to be married to him, and the eyes of Lady Emma widened once more, an action on her part that caused the smile on his face to widen as if he could actually hear the thoughts that were going through the mind of the Countess of Gray Haven at that moment.</p><p>“Let us continue this discussion later,” he said with a smile on his face, and before Lady Emma could say anything, he added, “We also have to discuss how we are going to call each other from now on.”</p><p>She blinked, but even if she had not, she would not have seen him press a button on a panel that opened on the left wrist part of his armor because that part of his hand was actually behind her. The Countess, however, was able to feel the effect of the button, as a few moments later, she felt electricity shoot out of the armor that she was leaning against. She would have screamed in surprise, but just a second or two, she felt her eyes roll upwards before darkness claimed her.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Great Hall, Pence Castle, Madison City</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Serendipity, Stenlar Star System, Kingdom of Crotoa</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Rear Admiral Daniel William ‘Ash’ Ashford</strong>
</p><p>Although every subject of the Golden Throne of the Holy Empire of Terra inside the Great Hall at that moment were wearing their headgears – and because of that, no one could actually see what kind of expression it was that they are wearing at that moment – Rear Admiral Ashford would have to admit that he would not have been the least surprised if he were not to see even a single comrade expressing their surprise at what their commanding officer had just done.</p><p>He knew that there may actually be those who are surprised by the fact that their commanding officer had just shocked the woman that he had gone to such extreme lengths to acquire for himself, but the Chief Military Advisor also knew that none of the marines or sailors who are with them at that moment would have allowed himself to show that shocked expression on their faces.</p><p>In any case, Rear Admiral Ashford reminded himself that while the Countess of Gray Haven had lost consciousness at that moment, the shock function of the standard issue armor – and despite the cosmetic modifications on the armor that the General-Admiral was wearing, it was still standard issue armor – is not strong enough to actually kill someone, and that was deliberate because the reason for adding that function in the first place was to give the person wearing the armor the option of subduing  their enemies, a function that was thought of as necessary by the people who had designed the armor.</p><p>‘<em>Well, it had proven to be useful in the past,’</em> Rear Admiral Ashford thought as he reminded himself of the number of people that he had interrogated before in his official capacity as an interrogator for Fleet Intelligence. Most of the people that he had interrogated had been captured by the shock function of the armor, and if he was being honest, he would have to admit that Lady Emma was hardly the first subject of the King of Crotoa to feel the shock function for herself.</p><p>Indeed, if there is something that would have classified as ‘shocking’ in regards to the latest actions of Lord Alexander, it would be the fact that he had used the shock function in the first place, though again, the Chief Military Advisor told himself that no one would actually comment about that, or at least, no one from their side of the battle lines drawn in this Great Hall.</p><p>Rear Admiral Ashford was brought out of the reverie that he had fallen in a few moments later by a small sound that was coming directly from the headgear that he was wearing. Rather than call for his attention directly, the General-Admiral had instead chosen to call for the attention of Rear Admiral Ashford with the use of a direct personal communication link, and Rear Admiral Ashford only had to glance at the screen that appeared on his heads-up display at that moment in order to realize that.</p><p>Still, when he turned his attention toward the direction of his commanding officer, he was actually unable to say anything because aside from the fact that he could see that Lord Alexander was already looking at him – and since he was not wearing his headgear, it was easy to see his face – and the moment that the Duke realized that, he parted his lips, “See to my prize, please, while I continue negotiations here,” he said.</p><p>A frown appeared on the face of Rear Admiral Ashford and that frown deepened a few more moments later as he realized that his commanding officer would not have been able to see the frown that he was wearing because of the headgear. At that moment, the Chief Military Advisor wanted to showcase his irritation at his commanding officer, but it would seem that he would not be able to do until a few moments later when Lord Alexander himself gave Rear Admiral Ashford the chance to do so.</p><p>That was because a few moments later, the General-Admiral, Imperial Terra Grand Fleet suddenly said, “Have her delivered aboard the <em>Bremerton</em>, please.”</p><p>This actually caused the eyes of Rear Admiral Ashford to widen even as he slightly admonished himself for not realizing that the Duke would have her delivered aboard his yacht rather than his flagship. Lord Alexander may be displaying some haste when it comes to claiming the Countess as his own, but at least, he was not forgetting to keep things appropriate – well, relatively – by not bringing a woman aboard his flagship.</p><p>If he was being honest, however, Rear Admiral Ashford would have to say that even if the General-Admiral were to bring a dozen women aboard his flagship and even if he were to sleep with all of them every day, none of his sailors would have blamed him. Indeed, given how small the cabin of the General-Admiral was – it was barely larger than that of a senior officer, with the cabin of their flag-captain actually being larger – Rear Admiral Ashford suspected that it would be the physical impossibility of having thirteen people in that room rather than the displeasure of the sailors and marines aboard the flagship that would have prevented Lord Alexander from that venture.</p><p>Rear Admiral Ashford was brought out of the reverie that he had not even realized he had fallen in a few moments later when he felt the man beside him – Vice Admiral Cline – moved his foot slightly so that it made contact with that of Rear Admiral Ashford. The Chief Military Advisor blinked once but rather than turn his attention toward his immediate superior, he instead focused his attention upon the direction of Lord Alexander where the first thing that he had noticed was – as he had suspected – an expression on the face of the General-Admiral that clearly told him that he was waiting for him to answer.</p><p>“Of course, Your Imperial Grace,” Rear Admiral Ashford said a few moments later, and he actually smiled – the fact that he was wearing his headgear was a boon at that moment – when he saw the frown on the face of his commanding officer. Rather than wait for Lord Alexander to morph his face to show the irritation that he was surely feeling at that moment, however, Rear Admiral Ashford turned his attention toward two armored marines whom he was sure would not be missed from the line of battle even if the fight were to restart, and he inclined his head toward the direction of Lord Alexander and the prize of their commanding officer while he was looking at the said marines.</p><p>Perhaps it was because he had realized that Rear Admiral Ashford was not going to give him the benefit of looking at him while he spoke, but a few moments later, Lord Alexander said, “I am wearing my uniform under this armor, Ash.”</p><p>With those words, the Duke of Olympia was reminding his subordinate of his unspoken order that they should not use any honorific that he was entitled to when speaking to him. Strictly speaking, however, the honorific that the Chief Military Advisor had used at that moment was not one that Lord Alexander was entitled to. The Duke most certainly caught up to that a few moments later when, with a smile, he added, “Besides, I am not an Archduke.”</p><p>‘<em>How can you have five duchies in your name and yet not be entitled to the style of Archduke?’</em> Rear Admiral Ashford asked, but he dared not voice that question out loud even as he inclined his head toward the direction of his commanding officer. He was not, however, going to apologize for the mistake that he made as, strictly speaking, he had not made one, after all, he used that honorific deliberately.</p><p>If he was being honest, the Chief Military Advisor would have to admit that he actually knew what the reason for Lord Alexander not receiving the title, style, and dignity of Archduke is, but since that is a matter of family – and politics, though in the case of the family of Lord Alexander, that was to be expected – he mentally shook his head and told himself that he should just think about something else entirely.</p><p>Indeed, there are a lot of other things that he could actually think about at that moment, and foremost of those things that were in the forefront of his mind as topics at that moment would be the young woman that their commanding officer had gone so far as to claim as his own, and in person too.</p><p>There was no way that she is going to be a simple concubine, and because that is the case, then logically, she would be a consort, but exactly the consort of who would be the question. It may seem to be a simple question to answer – after all, she would be the consort of Lord Alexander – but in reality, it was actually a bit more complicated than that, since, again, the man who had claim her has five duchies in his name, with each Duke actually entitled to one consort.</p><p>The question of which of the five duchies in the name of Lord Alexander is made even more important by the fact that of the five duchies that are consolidated under the figurative hat of the General-Admiral, two of those – Cornwall and Richmond – are ‘Royal’ duchies, that is, duchies that have, in the past, been held by men who had become Emperor of the Holy Empire of Terra.</p><p>‘<em>If he chooses one of those for her, then he would practically announce to the Empire that he intends to have her as his Empress,’ </em>Rear Admiral Ashford thought, and the mere thought of what would happen if his commanding officer were to do that actually made him flinch. He found himself asking if the General-Admiral would do something like that, but then realized that he probably should not have even asked that question.</p><p>“Now then,” once more, it was the voice of the General-Admiral that tore Rear Admiral Ashford out of his reverie, though this time, the words that the Duke had uttered were not intended for the Chief Military Advisor as they are actually intended for Duke Ryan, something that Rear Admiral Ashford were able to confirm a few moments later when he turned his attention toward the direction of the Duke just in time to see him turn his attention toward the direction of the Duke of Winnipeg.</p><p>This, however, prompted the Chief Military Advisor to turn his own attention toward the direction of Duke Ryan, just in time to see the expression on the face of the man who is nominally in charge of this planet change in order to reflect what he was thinking about at that moment, and given that the expression on his face changed to reflect helplessness, one can conclude that the Duke understood that he actually cannot refuse whatever it is that Lord Alexander was going to ‘offer’ him.</p><p>“We would leave you in charge of this planet, Your Grace, as we actually prefer not to disturb whatever peace and quiet it is that we have shattered with our invasion to remain,” Lord Alexander said, “and history tells us that one of the first accomplishments we can achieve by removing an effective ruling lord from his territory is to curb disfavor among the populace, a lesson that I am sure that your daughter have been more than happy to tell you numerous times before.”</p><p>Rear Admiral Ashford actually smiled in response to those words, because he had read the intelligence reports – indeed, he had compiled some of them himself – in regards to the personal relationship of the Duke of Winnipeg with his older daughter. Part of the reason why Rear Admiral Ashford was interested in that would be because of the fact that, unlike the Countess of Gray Haven, the Countess of Madison was actually planned to come under the guardianship of the Duke of Olympia as part of the post-invasion measures of the Holy Empire.</p><p>The Countess of Madison, after all, would be one of the two hostages that the Holy Empire would take from this system in order to ensure the compliance of, at the very least, the Duke that they would leave in charge. The other hostage would be the eldest son of the Duke, though for the eldest son, the reason is so that the Holy Empire can begin to indoctrinate him as to the ideals of and the way that the Holy Empire works.</p><p>Rear Admiral Ashford was certain that the Duke of Olympia had mentioned the Countess of Madison for a reason, and he did not have to wait long to find out what that reason would be, because a few moments later, the Duke of Olympia added, “Naturally, she should also have told you that to ensure compliance, even back then, hostages have been taken.”</p><p>There was no need on the part of Lord Alexander to actually tell the Duke exactly who the Holy Empire would be taking. Aside from the fact that he had already said as much earlier before the duel, Lord Alexander had already indicated as much from the words that have just escaped from his mouth.</p><p>Even if that was the case, however, the Duke of Olympia still made things clearer a few moments later, “Your eldest daughter and your only son, with the latter being sent back to Terra so that he may begin his proper education there.”</p><p>Rear Admiral Ashford imagined that there was a look of horror on the face of the Duke of Winnipeg at that moment, but he could not be sure as a few moments later, he was forced to turn his attention away from where his commanding officer was dictating – because there was no way that he was just negotiating, not with the tone that he was using and given the circumstances that they were in – the terms of the surrender of their opponent by the feeling of someone approaching him from behind.</p><p>He supposed that there was no need for him to turn his attention – if the intention of the person approaching him from behind was to attack him, then he would not have been able to approach anyway – but he still turned his attention behind him, and he did so just in time to see another man in armor – though from the markings on said armor, he could tell that the man is one of those attached to the Intelligence Section of the Joint Chiefs – who immediately stopped when he realized that Rear Admiral Ashford was looking at him.</p><p>“Sir,” the newly arrived man said – and the Chief Military Advisor actually found himself letting out a sigh of relief when he noticed that the man did not salute – before pausing. He then produced a small portable computer that Rear Admiral Ashford took without saying anything, even if he did note that he probably did not need to actually look at the message that was written on the portable computer that he had been handed because he could have just asked the messenger.</p><p>That, however, would have meant that he would have listen, and even he would have to admit that it would be far better to just read the information that he had been delivered. In any case, the Chief Military Advisor only had to read the message once before his eyes widened, and he quickly turned his attention toward the direction of Vice Admiral Cline with the intention of delivering the information.</p><p>When he turned his attention toward his immediate superior, however, he saw the Chief-of-Staff was also reading from his own portable computer, and with a start, Rear Admiral Ashford realized that the messenger had also given him a copy of the message, prompting the Chief Military Advisor to just stare at the direction of his immediate superior for a few moments. Vice Admiral Cline, however, turned his attention toward the direction of the Chief Military Advisor, and when the older man inclined his head, Rear Admiral Ashford understood that it is supposed to be him who should deliver the message.</p><p>It was for that reason that he took a step forward toward the direction of Lord Alexander, though he had barely taken half a dozen steps before the Duke of Olympia turned his attention toward him, forcing him to pause even as he heard his commanding officer asked, “I thought that I told you to bring my prize to the <em>Bremerton</em>, Ash?”</p><p>“My apologies, Admiral,” Rear Admiral Ashford said, and once more, the choice of honorific was intentional, because with that single honorific that he had used, he already told Lord Alexander that the message that he was supposed to deliver would have some bearing on his position as General-Admiral. Indeed, the moment that he heard the honorific that had been used, his face turned serious, though he did not actually say anything.</p><p>There was, however, no need for him to actually say anything, because Rear Admiral Ashford already understood the meaning behind the expression that his commanding officer was now wearing.</p><p>“The flagship reports that they have received a message from someone who is claiming to be the Marchioness of Havenstark,” he said, and as he delivered the message, he used his peripheral vision to look at the expression on the face of the Duke of Winnipeg. From the way that his expression had turned to one of worry, Rear Admiral Ashford was safely able to conclude that there is probably some truth to the claim of the person who had sent them the message.</p><p>He did not, however, voice his opinion out loud, after all, if the General-Admiral wanted for it, he would ask Rear Admiral Ashford directly. If he was being honest, however, he would have to admit that he did not expect the response of Lord Alexander, because the only response that he gave at that moment was a wide smile on his face, “Really, Ash,” he said, forcing the Chief Military Advisor to focus his attention upon the direction of his commanding officer, “I do not care about that right now,” and without missing a beat, he turned his attention back toward the Duke of Winnipeg and said, “Shall we continue, Your Grace?”</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Facility 0-B-17, Pence Castle, Madison City</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Serendipity, Stenlar Star System, Kingdom of Crotoa</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Lady Eleanor Elizabeth ‘Ellie’ Barnes</strong>
</p><p>She was actually quite surprised when she saw the two people that she wanted to talk with after just taking a few steps out of the communications room after she had calmed down her ladies-in-waiting by giving them a promise that she was not sure if she could actually fulfill, but given the circumstances that they had found themselves in, she was sure that it was the only thing that she could promise them that would calm them down.</p><p>A sigh escaped from the lips of Lady Ellie at that moment even as she took a small tentative step toward the direction where she saw Lady Ava and Sir Ian having a conversation. If she was being honest, the Marchioness would have to admit that she was kind of hoping that she would be able to approach them stealthily, if only to be able to hear what they were talking about without them realizing that she was listening in, but then it would appear that no matter how silent she was, she would not be able to hide from Sir Ian, because the vice-commander turned his attention toward her a few moments later.</p><p>Of course, as the vice-commander was already looking at her direction, it was but inevitable that the Countess of Madison would also turn her attention toward the direction of the Marchioness, and realizing that her self-appointed mission had failed, the Marchioness instead resumed walking toward their direction – and this time, she did not bother to be stealthy – at the same time that she told herself that trying to eavesdrop on them would have been useless anyway.</p><p>If she was really interested in what the two of them were talking about, then she could have just asked them directly, as neither Sir Ian nor Lady Ava would have refused to answer such a direct question.</p><p>As the two of them had not resumed what they were talking about when they realized that the Marchioness was approaching – indeed, they had kept their gazes focused upon her – she could not help but wonder if she should increase her pace. In the end, however, it really did not matter because the distance was short enough that a few moments later, she found herself close enough to them.</p><p>“My Lady,” it was Sir Ian who had spoken first, and if she was being honest, Lady Ellie would have to admit that she had already foreseen that that would be the case, “Is there anything that you need?”</p><p>Her first instinct at that moment was to answer in the affirmative, as there are actually a lot of things that she needs at that moment, but she fought the urge to point that out to the man who was in charge of her security now – because the rest of his Order was cut off from them – as she told herself that there was no way that Sir Ian would have been able to give her what she needed, even if he were to do his best. It was for that reason that she simply shook her head a few moments later.</p><p>Somehow, however, she knew that he understood that the only reason that she was shaking her head at that moment was because he understood that he cannot actually provide that which the Marchioness needed.</p><p>Silence descended between the three of them for a few moments, and since the silence was fast becoming awkward for the Marchioness of Havenstark, in the end, she was the one who broke the silence, and she did that by turning her attention toward the direction of Sir Ian and asking, “How is our supply situation?”</p><p>From the way that he did not hesitate to answer her question, she understood that he had already memorized the answer, and because she was sure that not enough time had passed since he had walked out of the communications room had passed, she realized that he must have memorized the answer even before he went into the room to discover that she had compromised their position.</p><p>“We are a bit lucky in that regard, my Lady,” he said, “this ship is capable of carrying about a hundred people, and there are enough supplies in storage to comfortably feed all of those people for about a day or two,” she saw the smile that appeared on his face as he added, “Ironically enough, it is the fact that there are only a dozen of us that made our situation far from hopeless.”</p><p>Once more, silence descended between them as Lady Ellie once more found herself unable to think of what she should ask next. She turned her attention toward the direction of the woman who is the actual reason for them heading to this planet, but the expression on the face of the Countess of Madison at that moment was a neutral one, and so, Lady Ellie cannot tell what Lady Ava was thinking.</p><p>Indeed, she would have had an easier time guessing what was going on in the mind of Sir Ian than guessing what was going on in the mind of Lady Ava, and it was for that reason that she returned her attention toward the direction of the vice-commander a few moments later, “You have asked Sir Malcolm about his impression about these pirates,” she said before she returned her attention toward Lady Ava, “and I assume that you have been asked for your impression as well, Lady Ava?”</p><p>“Yes, My Lady,” she replied. The Countess glanced toward the direction of Sir Ian, and Lady Ellie actually saw a brief look of hesitation on the face of the young woman which actually surprised the Marchioness as it had been a long time since she had seen something like that on the face of Lady Ava. Indeed, the Marchioness was about to say something about that when she was forced to pause a few moments later because the Countess then turned his attention toward the direction of the Marchioness, and she parted her lips, “the vice-commander and I were just discussing about the possible identity of our mystery attackers, My Lady.”</p><p>Lady Ellie blinked even as she realized that she should be admonishing herself at that moment. She had wondered about the identity of their attackers when she was informed of what was happening, but since they had entered the Great Hall, she had stopped. Granted, there were other things that she was worried about during that time, but she realized that she should have been thinking about that as well, after all, if she knew who are attacking them, then she may be able to figure out exactly what it is that they want and why they have come.</p><p>“And?” the Marchioness asked a few moments later, turning her attention toward the direction of the vice-commander.</p><p>As he is the one who had military experience, the Marchioness assumed that he is the one who had the answer as to the identity of their attacker. Unfortunately, since the vice-commander did not say anything, the Marchioness was forced to continue asking question, which is exactly what she did a few moments later, “The Dagger of the Void?” she suggested.</p><p>Sir Ian still looked uncertain, which confused the Marchioness, though this time, Sir Ian did not allow her to ask another question as he parted his lips and spoke, “We are not sure, though it is highly likely,” he paused again, but once more, it was not long enough for the Countess to say anything, “But I think we have reason to believe that even that identity is but a mask, if the theory of the Countess is correct.”</p><p>Those words prompted Lady Ellie to turn her attention toward her student, and she was about to ask Lady Ava to elaborate when she was forced to pause. She was hardly the only one who had paused, however, because even Sir Ian and the Countess did, and the reason for that was because the three of them had heard the sound of footsteps rushing toward them which prompted them to turn their attention toward the direction where the sound was coming from.</p><p>The two ladies-in-waiting that Lady Ellie had left in the communications room had expressions of terror on their faces as they run toward their direction, and not for the first time since she realized that she was left with just these two ladies-in-waiting, the Marchioness asked herself why she had consented to let them serve her. Of course, the answer to the question that she had asked herself came almost instantly, and she reminded herself that the reason was because she did not have a choice.</p><p>These two are actually daughters of two powerful Dukes in the Kingdom of Crotoa, and their fathers were on opposing factions in the coming fight for the throne. As that thought entered the mind of the Marchioness, she did not bemoan the fact that there would soon be a struggle for the throne, she did not even bemoan the fact that this invasion of Serendipity had happened while that inevitable struggle was brewing and would soon be pass the point of no return. Indeed, she did not bemoan anything as she was actually able to find some silver-lining, even if it was only for that moment.</p><p> After all, when these two ladies-in-waiting had first reported for duty, they – and another one who had been left behind – had clashed with each other so much that even Lady Emma nearly lost her temper on them. Right now, as they ran toward her, Lady Ellie could see that her two remaining ladies-in-waiting had at least found some common goal that they could work together to achieve.</p><p>“My Lady,” one of them said, “the radio…”</p><p>“What about the radio?” the Marchioness asked. While she kept her voice neutral, she would have to admit that there was a part of her that wanted to run toward the direction of the communications room at that moment, because it was obvious that whoever was attacking them had finally decided to contact them. Still, she was having a bit of fun at that moment, and besides, if their attackers had ignored her, then turnaround was fair play and she could ignore them.</p><p>“There is someone on the radio, my Lady,” the other lady-in-waiting said, “And they are asking for you.”</p><p>At that moment, it was not Lady Ellie who had responded, rather, it was the vice-commander, and the response was not even verbal, rather, Sir Ian suddenly threw himself toward the direction of the communications room, and before the Marchioness – or anyone else for that matter – could respond, he was already running toward the direction of the room, leaving Lady Ellie with no choice but to run after him.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Sir Ian deals with the fact that their enemies could probably detect them while he begins to suspect a member of their party.<br/>Lord Alexander deals with a question from his subordinate.<br/>Lady Ellie is informed of what they should do next, and puts her foot down on a plan on the part of Lady Ellie.<br/>Lady Emma wakes up aboard the personal yacht of the Duke of Olympia and reunited with someone that she loves, probably for the last time.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>EIGHT</strong>
</p>
<p>October 12, 1908 AE</p>
<p>Dear Lewis Phyllis-Norn,</p>
<p>This is in response to your question of ‘Why are Dukes allowed to have consorts?’</p>
<p>The simple answer to your question is necessity of having an heir. A Duke, as you may know, occupies a relatively high position in our peerage rank, and to leave a Duchy without a Duke is not something that the Holy Empire of Terra views with favor. That being the case, however, there was a time when the privilege of having a consort or a concubine is something that only members of the Imperial Family have.</p>
<p>It has been often said that the first and most important duty of the members of the Imperial Family is to ensure the continuity of the Imperial Family. Naturally, this duty is tied to the fact that there must always be someone who is seated on the Golden Throne, and since the founding of the Holy Empire of Terra nearly two millenniums ago, Terra had never faced a situation where there is no one available to sit on the Golden Throne.</p>
<p>Any discussion in regards to the family tree of the Imperial Family, however, must also include a discussion into one of the most important, yet least discussed, effect of the multitudes of war that had been fought in Terra before the founding of the Holy Empire of Terra.</p>
<p>It is a given that while the Holy Empire of Terra today is based upon a capital planet that has been beautiful restored, it also cannot be denied that in the darkest times of our planet, we have tried to kill each other using weapons that, in the end, could leave marks upon the very soil of our planet that would take thousands of years to reverse. One of these, of course, would be the low-yield nuclear weapons that were deployed during the closing years of the Fifth Everest War.</p>
<p>Deployed by the Union of the Himalayas, these weapons were not intended to kill enemies right away, rather, the objective of the deployment of these weapons was actually to poison the land and ensure the death of their enemies through a long and slow process. Part of the effects of the low-yield nuclear weapons was the mutation of the genes of those who were affected in such a way that their reproductive characteristics began to develop slower than those who were not affected by the weapons.</p>
<p>This resulted to lower birth rates in the affected population, brought about not only by the slower sexual maturity of the population, but also because of the fact that the population is also living with the other effects of the nuclear weapons that saw them develop life-threatening disease before they are even ready to reproduce. Indeed, this is one of the reasons why extending the life-span of our people has become one of the most important scientific research project of the Holy Empire.</p>
<p>By some quirk of fate – or perhaps it was because even the highest of deities wanted humans to die off on the planet where they had first evolved – the mutation that resulted tot his lower birth-rate was inherited by those who remain on Terra, so much so that by 987 AE, a full seventy percent of the remaining population on Terra are estimated to have inherited these genes.</p>
<p>William Andrew York, the first Emperor of the Holy Empire of Terra, suffered from this same gene mutation, as did his wife. By the time that he had taken the Golden Throne, however, research on the Elixir – the collective name for the series of medical and genetic processes that allowed us to extend our lives pass the expected life-span of a human being when humans lived only on one planet – had been completed.</p>
<p>The completion of research on the Elixir meant that it was possible for the Emperor to just wait for the time when his Empress could be ready to carry child to full-term, and indeed, all indications seem to point out that the Emperor fully intended to wait until the Empress was ready, but at the same time, the members of the newly formed Imperial Parliament found that they cannot wait for an heir, and if the Emperor is going to wait, then they cannot begrudge him for that.</p>
<p>Indeed, even if the members of the Parliament wanted to force the Emperor, it was not as if they could actually do it, hence, they looked at those who are around the Emperor, and found his three brothers who, by that time, had all been given the title of Dukes. Parliament may not be able to convince the Emperor to do what they wanted, but the same could not be said for the brothers of the Emperors, hence, one of the first laws passed by the Imperial Parliament during their fifth session is the Royal Family Procreation Act.</p>
<p>(On a side note, this law is actually one of those that have been passed by Parliament that the Emperor had considered as an overreach on the part of Parliament, and is one of the reasons for the establishment of the House of Lords twenty years later. As later events would turn out, even the establishment of the House of Lords would not be able to stop the amendment of this law, but more on that later.)</p>
<p>Under this law, a male member of the Imperial Family may have one consort or concubine – who would not be his wife – provided that he had been granted the peerage rank of Duke or higher. As the appointment of a peer is something that not even the Imperial Parliament – or indeed, the House of Lords when it was established a few years later – has control over, it has been argued that permission to have a consort or concubine is still under the province of the Emperor.</p>
<p>The stated purpose of the law is to ensure that there would always be an heir to the Golden Throne, and as the Imperial Family grew – Emperor William had five sons and two daughters – the number of people who became entitled to claim the privileges under this law also grew.</p>
<p>In 1292 AE, the Royal Family Procreation Act was amended to include all Dukes who are members of the House of Lords, and in 1457 AE, the privilege was extended to include all Dukes. The latest iteration of this law, the Empire Peerage Procreation Act (1457)</p>
<p>(Here, we see the reason why the creation of the House of Lords had not actually prevented the passing of this law, after all, no member of the House of Lords would vote against granting themselves or their peers privileges).</p>
<p>Notwithstanding the law in question, however, there are members of the Imperial Family who had chosen not to take advantages of the privileges that this law had been given. Indeed, of the four sons of Emperor Edward and Empress Victoria, only one – Archduke Philip York – has a consort, but even then, that relationship had only started after the death of his wife. Of the grandsons of the reigning monarch, none have actually taken either a consort or concubine, even the ones who are already married.</p>
<p>With the passing of the Imperial Reform Law (1922), and the codification of the rights, duties, and privileges of specific peerage titles, it must be noted that the privileges provided for by the Empire Peerage Procreation Act (1457) had been limited only to those who actually have a Ducal peerage title. It is for this reason that the grandsons of the Emperor who have a peerage rank of Prince – which is higher than the peerage rank of Duke in the peerage hierarchy of the Holy Empire – but not the peerage rank of Duke, are not entitled to the privileges of the law.</p>
<p>It should also be noted that a consort or a concubine is different from a mistress. Under the law, the children of a consort or concubine is legitimate and entitled to succeed – though they are always behind those who are born from the first wife – to the peerage rank (to ensure an heir, after all, is the purpose of the privilege). The child of a mistress is not entitled to such successional rights – and would never succeed unless there is no other descendant – and a mistress has no protection under the law, in particular, only a proper order from the Golden Throne would authorize a severance of the bond between a Duke and his consort/concubine.</p>
<p>This has, admittedly, resulted to some of the subjects of the Golden Throne aiming for the peerage rank of Duke for the sole purpose of claiming the privileges under this law, and notwithstanding my personal views on this, this is still something to the advantage of the Holy Empire as one cannot deny that such accomplishments do have a positive effect on the Holy Empire.</p>
<ul>
<li>Scott, Orson (MP – Leavenworth) to Phyllis-Norn, Lewis, January 12, 1928 AE in <em>Letters from the Parliament (76<sup>th</sup>)</em>, Edited by Parliament Press, Avalon,</li>
</ul>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Facility 0-B-17, Pence Castle, Madison City</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Serendipity, Stenlar Star System, Kingdom of Crotoa</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Sir Adrian Christian ‘Ian’ Sherfield</strong>
</p>
<p>He would have to admit that he was actually surprised when he saw that he was not the only person who was in the room when he crossed the threshold that separated the room where he had found himself in a few moments later and the rest of the ship that they were in. If he was being honest, Sir Ian would have to admit that he should have realized that one of his subordinates would have made his way back into the communication room, but at the same time, he was not expecting Sir Malcolm to actually ask for reinforcements.</p>
<p>The vice-commander had just had that thought enter through the forefront of his mind when he turned his attention toward one of the other knights inside the room, and from the expression on the face of the other knight, it was obvious to the vice-commander that they had not actually been asked to go into the room, and thus, the vice-commander realized that the reason why the other knights had made their way into the room was because they are of the opinion that they would find their commander there.</p>
<p>He had barely taken four steps inside the communications room, however, before every pair of eyes inside the room turned toward his direction, and he actually saw two or three of his subordinates’ blink at the sight of their commander. That was all that he needed to see in order to know that those knights who had blinked had not expected him to be here, which caused the vice-commander to wonder why they were not expecting him, but he was quick to put that matter upon the back of his mind even as he turned his attention back toward Sir Malcolm.</p>
<p>Fighting the urge to ask him when he had returned to the communications room – after all, Sir Ian had dismissed him the moment that they had walked out of the communications room so that he can wait for the arrival of Lady Ava on his own – he placed a questioning expression on his face, though he had barely taken another two steps before he realized that it might not be the best facial expression to put on his face at that moment, as it was rather obvious that he may believe that the question that he is going to ask him would have something to do with when he had returned to the communications room.</p>
<p>The question that the vice-commander actually wanted to ask at that moment had more to do with the message that the two ladies-in-waiting of the Marchioness had given to him, though with a start – and once more, he had to fight to urge to morph the features of his face, especially since at that moment, he was about to place a frown there – he realized that he had actually not managed to hear what those ladies had wanted to say – aside, of course, from the fact that they had told him that there are other people at the other side of the communications suite in the figurative sense – because he had left them even before he had asked permission from the Marchioness.</p>
<p>Sir Ian, however, was prepared to justify his decision, after all, at that moment, he was more interested in protecting the Marchioness rather than complying with the propriety, and he was certain that the only other people who would be using the radio to connect with them would be those who had attacked them.</p>
<p>If he was being honest, the vice-commander would readily admit that he would have gladly accepted the fact that he was wrong at that moment, but only if it would turn out that the party at the other side of the radio would be those that are on the same side as them. Of course, even as that thought entered the front of the mind of the vice-commander, he told himself that that would be impossible.</p>
<p>He shook his head – and he did not bother to hide that action on his part – but he did not say anything as at that moment, more thoughts went to the forefront of the mind of the vice-commander. He was not going to fool himself into thinking that the fight in the Great Hall had not yet ended at that moment, after all, a considerable amount of time had passed since they had evacuated from the Great Hall, and as formidable as the Ducal Guards had been – and he also could not refuse to acknowledge the fact that the other members of the Knight-Order are there – he did not think that they would be able to resist the invaders for long.</p>
<p>His thoughts turned back to the conversation that he had with the Countess of Madison before the Marchioness had interrupted them. Lady Ava may have told him that she was not convinced that they are being attacked by Terra, but it was clear from the way that she was speaking that she was leaning toward that possibility, but then again, Sir Ian did not really care about the identity of their attackers, as at that moment, the vice-commander was more interested in the fact that it was obvious that their attackers possess technology that is superior – even if it was not that much – with the technology that they have.</p>
<p>Once more, Sir Ian shook his head, forcing himself to return to the present, and as he did so, he focused his gaze upon Sir Malcolm. The moment that he did, he could see that his subordinate had also turned his attention toward him, and it was obvious that if the vice-commander was not going to say anything within the next few seconds, then he would have been the one to speak first.</p>
<p> Of course, he did not get the chance to be the one to open the conversation, because a few moments later, he was forced to pause as the vice-commander approached him. The next three steps that the vice-commander had taken toward the direction of his subordinate, naturally, made Sir Malcolm focus his attention, and that was more than enough to forestall whatever it was that the knight was about to say. That, in turn, meant that Sir Ian had more time to think of what he would say, even if at that moment, he actually already knew what it was that he was supposed to say.</p>
<p>“Well?” the vice-commander asked a few moments later, and he kept his gaze focused upon Sir Malcom in order to wordlessly tell their supposed radio-expert that he was addressing him.</p>
<p>Of course, the glare that the vice-commander was giving him – and in that instant, Sir Ian realized that he was not yet over the fact that Sir Malcom had not been able to stop Lady Ellie from compromising their position, even if a voice at the back of his mind which he recognized as his own told him that if she is angry at someone, then he should be angry at the Marchioness rather than the knight who could not have stopped Lady Ellie in the first place – was not enough to make Sir Malcolm cringe – as it was likely that he had received a glare that was far more intense than the one that Sir Ian could give him before – and he did not hesitate to part his lips and push words out of them.</p>
<p>“The communication device activated five minutes after the Marchioness had left the room,” their communications expert reported, and the words that escaped from the lips of the younger knight caused Sir Ian to blink, because the first impression that he got from the report that the younger knight had given was that the communication device had actually been turned off when the Marchioness had walked out of the room.</p>
<p>Sir Ian blinked a few moment later as he suddenly heard the voice at the back of his head. Once more, it was a voice that he had recognized as it was his own, and if he was being honest, even before he could hear the voice say words, he already knew what it was going to say, ‘<em>I turned the radio off when I realized that she had announced who she is,’</em> he thought.</p>
<p>It would appear that Sir Malcolm was able to accurately decipher the reason behind the worried expression that appeared on the face of Sir Ian at that moment, because the words that forced the vice-commander out of the reverie that he had fallen in came from the communications expert, and the words that he actually uttered answered the unasked question of the vice-commander at that moment.</p>
<p>“Yes, Vice-Commander,” Sir Malcolm said, and as Sir Ian turned his complete attention toward the visage of his subordinate, the communications expert added, “I do not know how, but the communications gear turned itself on without anyone of us touching it,” he paused before he added, “and that is probably the reason why the ladies-in-waiting of the Marchioness ran away.”</p>
<p>As those words escaped from the lips of his subordinate, the vice-commander suddenly found himself able to look at another angle, and because he was willing to admit that he was yet to accept the fact that the communications gear turned itself on, he was willing to explore that possibility that made it to the forefront of his mind.</p>
<p>“Are you sure that they did not accidentally open the communications device while they were playing with it?” the vice-commander asked.</p>
<p>He did not think that there was a need for him to tell Sir Malcolm – or anyone else who was in the room at that moment – of who he is talking about, and as if to provide him with further evidence that that was the case, when he returned to the present a heartbeat later and focused his gaze upon the visage of his subordinate, the only thing that Sir Malcolm did was to shake his head.</p>
<p>The younger knight, however, knew, that that was an unacceptable response, which was why a few moments later, he quickly added, “they were far from the device, vice-commander, and I had my eyes focused on the power switch,” after those words had escaped from the lips of Sir Malcolm, the younger knight inclined his head toward the direction of the power switch, and that was the only thing that he had to do in order to convince Sir Ian that he should turn his attention toward that direction as well.</p>
<p>He would have to admit that he would have preferred it if his subordinate would have just told him what he wanted to say, but the vice-commander did turn his attention toward that direction a few moments later, and before he realized it, he blinked.</p>
<p>The reason for that was because when he turned his attention toward the direction of the power-switch, he was able to note that the switch was actually on the ‘off’ station, which meant that the device was actually turned off. Granted, at that moment, the communication device appeared to be inactive, but even without any of the other knights inside the room saying anything, it was obvious that that switch had always been on the off-station, even when the supposed message from the other side of the communication link had come.</p>
<p>Sir Ian had switched the communication device off because he knew that whoever was on the other side of the link would have had no problem homing in on their position if he had kept it on the on-station, but as he took in all of the reports that he had been given, the vice-commander realized that that would not be enough. It would appear that their unknown adversaries would still be able to get in touch with them through that communication device even if the same was turned off.</p>
<p>‘<em>I suspect that they would have technology far superior than our own,’</em> he remembered the words that Lady Ava had uttered not even thirty minutes ago when the Countess of Madison had presented her suspicions in regards to the identity of their attackers.</p>
<p>He turned his complete attention toward the direction of the communication device, but if he was being honest, the vice-commander would have to admit that the only reason that he turned his attention toward that direction was because he was hoping that doing so would somehow give him a clue as to what he should do next.</p>
<p>The vice-commander shook his head – and he did not bother to hide that fact from his subordinates – a few moments later even as he heard that same voice at the back of his head which he knew was his own, ‘<em>First, we need to get out of here,’</em> he thought. If his suspicions are correct, then even at that moment, their mysterious adversaries are already tracking them through the communication device, and he did not imagine that it would take their adversaries longer than half a day – if he was being honest, he would have laid odds that it would be less than an hour – to figure out where they are.</p>
<p>He blinked a few moments later as he suddenly heard the communication device burst into life, and as he realized what was happening, Sir Ian turned his attention. Rather than turn his attention toward the direction of where the sound came from, however, the vice-commander instead turned his attention toward the direction of the power-switch, and as his eyes widened, he noted that, as his subordinates had reported, the device power-switch was still on the off-station.</p>
<p>Of course, he did not have the time to wonder how that was possible, because the message that he was sure would soon be coming out of the device was far more important than that, and a few moments later, his decision to focus his attention on whatever message it was that was going to be delivered through the device proved to be the correct one.</p>
<p>It was not surprising that the vice-commander was not able to recognize the voice at the other end of the device – and that was actually something that he was rather thankful for as he told himself that if he had recognized the voice, then it would mean that the speaker had betrayed his oath and had decided to work with their mysterious attackers, even if at that moment, even the vice-commander would have to admit that he would not have begrudged such person for making that choice – though he put that at the back of his mind as he forced himself to listen to the message.</p>
<p>“To the party of the Marchioness of Havenstark,” the voice said, and that was all that the vice-commander needed to hear in order to know that the message was intended for them. Usually, Sir Ian would have interrupted at that moment so that he can inform the person at the other end of the link that the Marchioness was not in the room with them, but this time, he did not do so, not only because he did not want to confirm the fact that the Marchioness of Havenstark was actually in this facility, but also because he did not want to actually establish communications with the party at the other end of the link.</p>
<p>In any case, the person at the other end of the link continued to speak, “We urge you to surrender and we promise that no harm would come to your person or those of your retinue if you do so.”</p>
<p>It would appear that that was the end of the message, because no other words echoed from the speaker connected to the communication device after it. Even if that was the case, however, no one among the gathered knights inside the communications room had said anything until almost a full minute had passed, and the silence was shattered not by the vice-commander, but by Sir Malcolm who said, “The message was the same as the one from before.”</p>
<p>Sir Ian parted his lips at that moment with the intention of giving new orders – which, at that moment, would have instructed his knights to see if there was a way that they could use to evacuate from this place without actually launching the ship that they were on or going through the same passageway that they had used to get here, after all, that would just bring them back to the castle which, by now, should be overrun – but before he could push a single sound out of his mouth, he was cut off as the communication device cackled again.</p>
<p>“Sir Adrian Sherfield,” the message came, and upon hearing his name, Sir Ian blinked even as he turned his attention toward the direction of the speaker. He was certain that none of the knights who were with him at that moment had communicated through the device, which momentarily confused the vice-commander as at that moment, he could not think of how their mysterious adversaries had come to know his name. Any prospect of answering that, however, had to be put on hold a few moments later as the person at the other end of the communications link continued to speak, “We promise to treat you and yours in accordance with the laws on the humane treatment of captured combatants if you surrender.”</p>
<p>The first thoughts at the forefront of the mind of Sir Ian after he had heard those words actually had nothing to do with the words that the person on the other end of the communication link had said, instead, the thoughts at the forefront of the mind of Sir Ian at that moment had more to do with answering the question of exactly how their adversaries had been able to know his name.</p>
<p>Less than five seconds later, however, the vice-commander realized that the reason why their adversaries knew who he is – and he had no doubt that they also know all of the subordinates that he had left – was because they had gotten that information from the other knights. That was all that he needed to confirm – at least, in his mind – that the Great Hall, possibly the entirety of the planet, had fallen.</p>
<p>After he had realized that, Sir Ian allowed himself to think about the latest message that they had received, in particular, the promise to treat prisoners humanely. The vice-commander had never heard of pirates making that promise before – and indeed, pirates are rather famous for the unspeakable things that they do to their prisoners – but he did not think that the person who had made that promise was lying in order to get him to surrender.</p>
<p>Indeed, Sir Ian told himself that if the pirates wished for their surrender, then they would have made a threat on the other side of the spectrum, and instead of promising Sir Ian that they would be treated humanely, pirates would have threatened to kill some of their prisoners in order to get the vicec-commander to surrender.</p>
<p>In the mind of Sir Ian, that was the final piece of the puzzle that was necessary for him in order to conclude that they are not being attacked by pirates, and though he was still unsure of whether or not he buys into the suspicions of Lady Ava that they are being attacked by the descendants of those people who had been left behind in Terra when humanity had left the home-planet, he was convinced that whoever was attacking them is an organized country.</p>
<p>That, however, only made removing Lady Ellie from this planet and bringing her back to the capital – or at least, to the territory of the Kingdom of Crotoa yet to fall upon these invaders – more critical. Sir Ian, after all, knew of the political tensions happening in the capital, as well as the fact that the only thing that is keeping the three sons of the King from plunging the entirety of their country into civil war is because of the fact that their father is still alive.</p>
<p>Lady Ellie, Sir Ian knew, is the only one who can control her cousins, and as that thought entered the forefront of his mind, the vice-commander could not help but wonder if that is the reason why their adversaries had attacked the moment that they did.</p>
<p>“Sir Ian,” a voice behind him made him turn his attention toward that direction, though if he was being honest, he would have to admit that he could not bring himself to be surprised when he saw that it was the Countess of Madison who had asked for his attention.</p>
<p>He was sure that there was a questioning expression on his face as he turned to regards the Countess, but at the same time, he could not help but silently remark – even if only to himself – that he had the impression that even if the Countess had not seen the questioning expression on his face at that moment, she still would have spoken, indeed, she did not even wait for the vice-commander to say anything before she continued, “I had been checking some of the diagrams of this facility that I had found,” she said, “there is supposed to be a river at the lowest levels of the facility, and it is supposed to be still flowing.”</p>
<p>‘<em>In other words, we can follow the river and leave this place,’</em> he thought, though at the same time that that thought entered the forefront of his mind, the vice-commander found himself staring at the direction of the Countess even as she asked herself exactly how she was able to figure out that his next order would be to order an evacuation of this place. He shook his head a few moments later, however even as another voice told him that the Countess is the reason that they are here in the first place, yet if it is the Countess who had orchestrated this attack, then she would not have actually speculated with him as to the identities of their attackers.</p>
<p>He supposed that it was possible that she was actually just putting up a show, but a few moments later, the vice-commander mentally shook his head. He must have been feeling less than generous to the Countess, however, because he did not even acknowledge the fact that she was the one who had brought that piece of information before he turned his attention toward the direction of his subordinates, “Sir Eric, Sir Bradley, go check that out,” he said, before he turned his attention toward Sir Malcolm and said, “Make sure to dismantle that communication device as soon as possible, they might be using that as we speak as a homing beacon.’</p>
<p>He did not wait for Sir Malcolm – or for the two other knights for that matter – to acknowledge the order that he had given before he turned his attention back toward Lady Ava, “We have to inform the Countess that we are leaving this facility,” he said, and he was sure that the way that he had said that would have left the Countess of Madison with no illusion that he was not asking her to accompany him, rather, he was ordering her to come with him.</p>
<p>The fact that the Countess of Madison did not hesitate to nod in response to the demand, however, was more than enough to still whatever suspicion it was that the vice-commander may have felt over the true loyalties of the Countess, though even as the two of them exited the communications room so that they can rejoin the Marchioness, the vice-commander realized that it was possible that the reason why Lady Ava was there was so that their attackers could mark the presence of the Marchioness.</p>
<p>That, however, was a question that could not be answered at that moment, and with that in mind, the vice-commander made a mental note, telling himself that he should keep a careful watch of the next set of actions that the Countess of Madison are going to take.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Castle Grounds, Pence Castle, Madison City</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Serendipity, Stenlar Star System, Kingdom of Crotoa</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Lord Alexander Charles York</strong>
</p>
<p>The first reaction that appeared on the face of Lord Alexander when he spotted the shuttle in front of him – which was not the one that he had used to get on the surface of the planet – was irritation. He had to call on every fiber of control that was available to him at that moment in order to stop himself from turning his attention toward the direction of the man who was walking beside him – as it was obvious that he is the one who had made the decision to send this shuttle down on the surface of the planet to pick them up – and in the end, he nearly lost that silent match that he was having with himself.</p>
<p>Indeed, if he was being honest, the General-Admiral would have to admit that the only reason that he did not turn his attention toward the direction of his chief-of-staff and launched into a broadside of tirades against him was because of the fact that they are still supposed to be in an active battlefield, and ironically enough, it is also the fact that they are supposed to be in an active battlefield that the Duke of Olympia found himself irritated.</p>
<p>He returned his full attention back toward the shuttle in front of him and he noted the serial number – finished in imperial red against the white paint of the shuttle, though even from this distance, the Duke could see that there were specks of imperial purple on the letters that make up the serial number – on the side of the shuttle, and that was all that he actually needed to see in order to confirm that this shuttle came from his flagship – the pennant number of his flagship make up part of the serial number on the side of the shuttle.</p>
<p>Compared to the UH-6M ‘Geese’ shuttle that he and Vice Admiral Cline had used to head to the surface of the planet less than two hours ago, the VUH-5N ‘White Falcon’ shuttle is more comfortable, but the reason why is because this shuttle is not supposed to be used for transporting personnel from and to active battle zones. The ‘V’ in the official designation of the shuttle should have been enough of a clue, since that letter is only added to equipment designed to be used by Very Important Persons, and while the Duke would concede that he is entitled to that designation – hence, the reason why his flagship carries two of these shuttles – he still would rather have used the standard transport shuttle rather than this one.</p>
<p>By chance, he turned his attention skyward, just in time to see another White Falcon shuttle steadily gaining altitude, and he would have continued to stare at the shuttle until it had disappeared if not for the fact that he was quick to remember himself. If he was being honest, however, one of the reasons why he was able to bring his gaze away from watching the shuttle was the realization that that other White Falcon also came from his flagship, after all, there are only two such shuttles in the fleet, and both are attached to his flagship.</p>
<p>“These are our fastest shuttles available,” Vice Admiral Cline suddenly said, and the words that had escaped from his lips at that moment were more than enough for the Duke of Olympia to turn his attention toward the direction of his subordinate. By the time that he had turned his attention toward his Chief-of-Staff, there was already a questioning expression on his face, though before the question could actually escape from the lips of the General-Admiral, he was cut off as Vice Admiral Cline continued, “I presumed that you wanted her transferred to the <em>Bremerton</em> as fast as possible, and the White Falcons are the fastest shuttles we have in the fleet.”</p>
<p>For a few moments, there was only silence between the two of them, and that included the sound of footsteps as the two of them had actually stopped walking toward the direction of the open and waiting doors of the shuttle that was obviously waiting for them. There was no need for the Chief-of-Staff to tell Lord Alexander who he was referring to when he said ‘she’, and in all honesty, the General-Admiral would have to admit that he actually felt like commending his subordinate for making that decision.</p>
<p>That commendation, however, was put on hold because of the fact that while Lord Alexander could understand sending a White Falcon to pick up Lady Emma, he cannot understand why Vice Admiral Cline had sent the other White Falcon when Vice Admiral Cline added, “Captain Radcliffe then decided to send the other one for you.”</p>
<p>Lord Alexander blinked at that moment even as he found himself staring at the direction of his subordinate with an incredulous expression on his face. It was not actually the first time that Vice Admiral Cline had decided to ‘pass the buck’ as it were, but he cannot remember the last time that his old friend had done that, and it was the reason why the General-Admiral found himself staring at the direction of his Chief-of-Staff a few moments later.</p>
<p>He shook his head – and he did not bother hiding it from those who are around him – a few moments later in order to return to the present, but before Vice Admiral Cline could say anything, Lord Alexander said, “Maybe I should have sent you to the <em>Bremerton</em> and I had retained Ash here.”</p>
<p>The Duke was well aware that that sounded as if he was complaining, and if he was being honest, he actually was. Of course, the only reason that he was able to complain the way that he had was because he knew his old friend would not take it personally, and indeed, a few moments later, despite the difference in their rank, Vice Admiral Cline added, “then you’d be having this conversation with Ash rather than with me, and we both know that he is better in arguing than me.”</p>
<p>Silence once more descended between the two of them, though this time, that silence was broken not by loud sounds, but by a wide smile that formed across the face of the General-Admiral. With one swift motion, he placed his hands behind his back – using his left to grasp the wrist of his right – before turning his attention behind him so that a few moments later, he was looking at the direction of one of the towers of the castle.</p>
<p>He could remember that when they first arrived on the surface of this planet barely an hour ago, there were two flag flying there, one of them would be the dragon and snake banner that is the flag of the Kingdom of Crotoa, and the other would be the white prairie crocus against a light blue backdrop that is the personal banner of the Duchy of Winnipeg.</p>
<p>When he turned his attention toward that direction, Lord Alexander could see that there were still two flags flying on the mast there, but instead of the flags that were flying there when the Duke of Olympia first flew in, the two flags there have been changed.</p>
<p>The bigger of the two flags was the official flag of the Holy Empire of Terra, while the smaller of the two flags – which was actually flying from the same mast as the larger one, though the second flag had been placed under the big one – showed a rose with two wyverns. It was actually the second of the two flags that Lord Alexander had turned his attention toward and a smile actually appeared on his face at that moment, since the flag that he was staring at is something that had been granted to him when he accepted his position as General-Admiral, Imperial Terra Grand Fleet.</p>
<p>In other words, the flag that was flying under the official flag of the Holy Empire of Terra would be his personal flag.</p>
<p>“Any chance that we could bring down my flag?” he asked without even turning his attention toward the direction of his Chief-of-Staff. He knew that there was no need for him to turn his gaze toward Vice Admiral Cline in order to know that, at that moment, there was a frown on the face of his subordinate.</p>
<p>Indeed, the Vice Admiral did not even wait for Lord Alexander to say anything else before he spoke, “Which of the five other flags should we put up there?” he asked.</p>
<p>The Duke frowned at that moment, though he still did not turn his attention toward the direction of his subordinate as he knew that if he were to do so, then the only thing that he would see would be a smirk on his face. Lord Alexander knew where that smirk would have come from as well, because of the five Duchies that have been given to him, all five have their own flags, and he is entitled to use any of them.</p>
<p>As the Genera-Admiral, Imperial Terra Grand Fleet, he is also entitled to fly the banner of the Grand Fleet in his own capacity, but the flag of the Grand Fleet is practically the same as the personal flag of Lord Alexander.</p>
<p>“Fine,” he said a few moments later. It was only at that moment that the General-Admiral turned his attention toward the direction of his subordinate, and as he had expected, there was a smirk on his face, though Lord Alexander ignored the expression as he said, “Speaking of flags, Vice Admiral, what is the latest report for the ceremony?”</p>
<p>He caught his Chief-of-Staff wince a few moments later, causing a smile to form on the face of the General-Admiral, though he was quick to chase away that expression as Vice Admiral Cline responded to his question, “We have ten thousand flags of the Kingdom of Crotoa ready to go, Admiral,” he said, but then he paused and it was obvious from the expression on his face, it was clear to Lord Alexander that he was waiting for the General-Admiral to say something.</p>
<p>As Lord Alexander had not said anything, however, Vice Admiral Cline was forced to speak a few moments later, “But we have not yet finished with the clean-up of the bodies.”</p>
<p>The General-Admiral nodded in response to the words that have escaped from the lips of his subordinate. Once more, he turned his attention back toward the direction of the castle, though this time, rather than turn his attention back toward the flags of the Holy Empire that were flying from the battlements, the Duke instead turned his attention toward the direction of the Great Hall where he had just finished negotiating the surrender of this planet.</p>
<p>Duke Ryan had asked Lord Alexander about the reason for the demand for flags, but the General-Admiral had not actually said anything in response to that question, and he was sure that, at that moment, the Duke of Winnipeg was now receiving reports in regards to what was happening in the places where the marines of the Grand Fleet had landed during the orbital invasion.</p>
<p>There had not been that many sites where his marines had landed, and because of that, they have not had that many casualties – of last count, he had only lost thirty-two men, including five who had headed straight into a building that was apparently wired to explode the moment that they had entered the same – though from the latest report that he had received, the adversary – ‘<em>well, I cannot use that term for them anymore,’</em> he thought – had suffered around five thousand dead during the invasion.</p>
<p>‘<em>And only because they were not prepared for our arrival,’</em> Lord Alexander thought as he shook his head.</p>
<p>“What is the estimate time of completion for the clean-up?” Lord Alexander asked, and though he had not actually turned his attention toward the direction of Vice Admiral Cline as he asked that question, it was obvious that the question was intended for him.</p>
<p>The reason why the Duke did not turn his attention toward the direction of his subordinate was because at that moment, he turned his gaze toward the direction of the shuttle that was parked next to the White Falcon that was waiting for them. Even from where he stood, Lord Alexander could see that the shuttle that he had turned his attention to was loading body-bags, though the contents of those bags were not actually bodies of Terran Marines, but those who have died in the castle during their invasion of the same.</p>
<p>“We would hold the main ceremony aboard the <em>Bremerton</em>,” Lord Alexander suddenly said. He turned his attention toward the direction of Vice Admiral Cline before he had finished speaking, though because of the pace with which he turned his gaze, by the time that he had turned his attention toward his subordinate, he had actually already finished speaking.</p>
<p>He did catch the eyes of Vice Admiral Cline widen in response to the words that have escaped from the lips of his commanding officer, however, and a few moments later, Lord Alexander saw his subordinate part his lips with the obvious intention to say something. Whatever it was that he wanted to say, however, was something that only Vice Admiral Cline would know, however, because at that moment, Lord Alexander suddenly added, “Have the bodies of those who were killed in the castle diverted to the <em>Bremerton</em>.”</p>
<p>“Your Grace,” Vice Admiral Cline suddenly said, his face turning serious, and that expression that Vice Admiral Cline was wearing on his face was the only thing that Lord Alexander needed to see in order to confirm that he would really appreciate it if the Duke would not interrupt him at that moment.</p>
<p>As Lord Alexander had not said anything, the Chief-of-Staff was able to continue speaking a few moments later, “There has never been a precedent for using a civilian ship for this ceremony,” he said, and with those words, Vice Admiral Cline had justified why he had used the honorific that he had used.</p>
<p>“And we have never had to provide this ceremony to foreign combatants in such a degree before,” Lord Alexander said. He paused at that moment, but because he did not want Vice Admiral Cline to interrupt him, he quickly added, “And not all of them would be launched from the <em>Bremerton</em>, just the ones that have died here.”</p>
<p>Vice Admiral Cline did not say anything in response to the statement for a few moments, though it did not mean that he did not understand what his commanding officer had said, because when Lord Alexander turned his attention toward the visage of his Chief-of-Staff, he could see Vice Admiral Cline looking at him with a determined expression on his face. indeed, the Duke was about to say something at that moment, when he was forced to pause as Vice Admiral Cline suddenly spoke, “Don’t you think that you should speak with your father about this?” he asked.</p>
<p>This caused Lord Alexander to blink, “You want me to talk with the Archduke of Maryland about funerals, Kevin?” he asked. He placed a smile on his face as he asked that, but if he was being honest, Lord Alexander would have to admit that that was not what his subordinate had in mind.</p>
<p>Indeed, the irritated expression on the face of Vice Admiral Cline at that moment served only to drive that fact home, but even as that expression that the Chief-of-Staff was wearing on his face intensified, Lord Alexander allowed himself to turn his attention away from the direction of his subordinate, turning it instead toward the shuttle that was even at that moment loading the bodies of those who had been killed during the attack on the castle.</p>
<p>A sigh escaped from the lips of Lord Alexander at that moment, even as he told himself that the actual reason why Vice Admiral Cline had said that Lord Alexander should speak with his father had more to do with the announcement of Lord Alexander earlier that he is going to give up his claim for the Golden Throne so that he can have Lady Emma for his own. Indeed, even as that thought entered the forefront of his mind, the Duke could not help but remark to himself that his reason or changing the location of the ceremony that he wanted to hold is so that Lady Emma could, at the least, be there when it happened.</p>
<p>He shook his head – and again, he did not bother to hide what he was doing from his subordinate – in order to force himself to return to the present, and as he did so, he fixed his gaze upon the direction of his subordinate. Once more, the expression that was written on the face of Vice Admiral Cline told him that he was about to say something, but once again, Lord Alexander interrupted him, “It is not a topic that I would be happy to discuss with my father,” he said.</p>
<p>Vice Admiral Cline stared hard at his commanding officer, and it was a stare that most people would have probably commented about given the ranks of the two men. Lord Alexander had no doubt that if they were surrounded by the more traditionalists among the Imperial Navy – and there are some in his fleet – the Chief-of-Staff would have already earned himself some rebuke – even if only privately – at the way that he was staring – glaring, really – at his commanding officer.</p>
<p>He must have realized what he was doing himself, however, because Lord Alexander did not actually have to call him out before he shook his head – and like his commanding officer, he did not bother to hide what he was doing – in order to force himself to return to the present. Even before he had finished shaking his head, however, he was already speaking, “Then would you tell me if there was any truth in those damning statements that you have uttered in that hall, Sir?”</p>
<p>The way that he had spoken was all that Lord Alexander needed to hear in order to know that his subordinate was being serious when he demanded for that answer, but even if that was the case, the only response that the Duke gave him at that moment was a smile, and before Vice Admiral Cline could say anything, Lord Alexander started to walk toward the direction of the shuttle, leaving the Chief-of-Staff with no choice but to follow after him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Facility 0-B-17, Pence Castle, Madison City</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Serendipity, Stenlar Star System, Kingdom of Crotoa</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Lady Eleanor Elizabeth ‘Ellie’ Barnes</strong>
</p>
<p>She stared at the man in front of him without even bothering to school her features in order to remove the incredulous expression that was on her visage. A part of her wanted to scream at the man in front of her, wanted to remind him that the fact that they are now finally being contacted by their adversaries is actually a good thing as it meant that they could finally begin negotiations with them, but even as that thought entered through the forefront of the mind of Lady Ellie, she found herself unable to say anything. Indeed, at that moment, the Marchioness of Havenstark would have to say that she could not actually do anything but stare at the man in front of her.</p>
<p>The worried expression on the face of Sir Ian – an expression that appeared on his face a few moments later when he realized that she was just staring at him and was not even listening – was the thing that brought the Marchioness out of the reverie that she had not even realized she had fallen into.</p>
<p>Even though she had come out of the reverie, however, it did not mean that Lady Ellie was ready to speak, and it was precisely for that reason that, a few moments later, the vice-commander parted his lips and pushed words out of his mouth, and though they are rather simple words, it was more than enough to forestall the Marchioness from falling into another reverie, “My Lady?” the vice-commander asked.</p>
<p>Lady Ellie blinked at that moment, and that action should have told the man in front of her that she was well and truly back to the present. She would have to admit that she was a bit worried that it was not enough, however, which was why a few moments later, she finally spoke again, “I am listening, Sir Ian,” she replied.</p>
<p>Even she would note that there was an edge in the tone that she had used, though unlike the people in front of her – which at that moment would be Sir Ian, Lady Ava, and her remaining two ladies-in-waiting – the Marchioness knew exactly why there was an edge to her tone when she said those words.</p>
<p>She fought the urge to sigh even as she chased away – figuratively speaking, of course – the thoughts that were forming at the forefront of her mind at that moment, thoughts of the arguments that she would use in order to convince Sir Ian that they have to stay and open negotiations, and even as she was chasing those thoughts away, she could not help but hear another voice at the back of her head – one that she was rather familiar with as it was her own voice – remind her that she does not have to convince Sir Ian to do anything, after all, if she were to command him to stay and open negotiations, then he would have no choice but to obey.</p>
<p>Knight-General Clancy may have had some room to maneuver in regards to the demands of the Marchioness, but she was pretty sure that the vice-commander does not, and she also knew that, in the end, he would have to use the fact that they had practically grown up with each other in order to convince her that they should leave. Of course, if he were to do that, then the Marchioness would just have to remind him that the reason why Lady Ellie did not want to leave is because their other childhood friend is not with them.</p>
<p>She mentally shook her head, however, as logic and sanity finally reasserted itself at the back of her mind before it swiftly flooded into the forefront of her brain. If she was being honest, the Marchioness would have to admit that she could certainly understand the reason why Sir Ian would want to evacuate this place, and with a glance toward the direction of the Countess of Madison, Lady Ellie told herself that she should take the presence of Lady Ava with the vice-commander at that moment as a sign that the Countess also agreed with that assessment.</p>
<p>Lady Ellie did not hide the sigh that escaped from her lips a few moments later, but before either of the two people in front of her could react to the same, she focused her gaze upon the direction of the vice-commander, “And where should we head next, vice-commander?” she asked.</p>
<p>That question that escaped from the lips of Lady Ellie was still in the same tone that she had used when she had last spoke, yet it was rapidly losing that edge even as she told herself that she could certainly understand the reason why Sir Ian did not want her to fall in the hands of their adversaries, after all, she is the eldest niece of the reigning king.</p>
<p>She knew that the vice-commander had no clear answer to the question that she had asked, and if she was going to be honest, the Marchioness would readily admit that that was part of the reason why she had asked the question in the first place. To her surprise, however, there was no look of hesitation on the part of the vice-commander as he answered the question, “We need to find a way off of the planet and back to the territory of the Kingdom of Crotoa,” he said, and when Lady Ellie blinked, he took the opportunity to add, “At this point, Your Grace, whether the adversary is from Terra or not is no longer the thing that we should be concerned about.”</p>
<p>Lady Ellie did not say anything, indeed, not even when he used that honorific, as she understood that his choice of using that was deliberate. It was his way of telling her that part of the reason why they had to leave had to do with not only her peerage rank, but also with the fact that she is part of the Royal Family, but then again, that was something that had already been established.</p>
<p>As she had not said anything, of course, the Marchioness found herself on the side of those who would have to listen as the vice-commander added, “What should concern us the most right now is the fact that there is no way that Serendipity or even Stenlar would be the last,” she could see the complete seriousness in the expression that he was wearing as he added, “It is now rather obvious that they intend a full-scale invasion of the Kingdom of Crotoa.”</p>
<p>Lady Ellie would have to admit that that thought did enter the forefront of her mind during the first time that she wondered about the identity of their attackers, but she had placed the line of thinking that led her to that conclusion at the back of her mind after they had been forced to flee from the Great Hall. Now that there was someone else who was offering it, however, she could not help but allow her thoughts to turn toward that line of thinking.</p>
<p>The thoughts of the Marchioness of Havenstark was disturbed a few moments later as the vice-commander spoke again. It was rather obvious that he took the fact that she had not said anything as implied permission for him to continue speaking, but Lady Ellie honestly did not mind the interruption, indeed, she was actually rather grateful for the same, because it forced her to return to the present, right at the time when she found herself in danger of falling into another reverie.</p>
<p>“You would have to rally the Kingdom, my Lady,” Sir Ian said.</p>
<p>The way that he said that convinced her that he truly believed that that is what she should do, but in his defense, even the Marchioness would have to admit that she also believed that that is something that she should do. She fought the urge to curse as she reminded herself that because of the health of her uncle, the political situation in the capital is so bad that the only reason why the civil war had not yet erupted is because the king is still alive.</p>
<p>Indeed, there are rumors that even if the civil war had not yet started, there are already casualties, with the followers of her three cousins killing each other in secret engagements that are buried by their comrades so deeply that even the Marchioness of Havenstark was having a hard time uncovering them.</p>
<p>‘<em>Would I be able to convince those fools to stop lusting after the throne enough that they could work together?’</em> she asked herself, yet at almost the exact same time that that thought entered the forefront of her mind, she told herself that she was being unusually harsh to her cousins. The Marchioness, however, knew what the reason for the harshness that she was feeling at that moment was, and she actually shook her head a few moments later before she said, “that would be easier if Emma was with me.”</p>
<p>She was not surprised to see the nod that Sir Ian gave in response to that statement, and indeed, a few moments later, the vice-commander said, “Undoubtedly.”</p>
<p>Silence descended inside the room for a few moments, but as it was an uncomfortable silence – in the sense that it forced the Marchioness to turn her thoughts about her friend – it was the Marchioness who actually broke the silence a few moments later.</p>
<p>She turned her attention toward the direction of Sir Ian and as his eyes met with his bright green eyes, the Marchioness suddenly asked, “I assume that you have a plan to get us out of here, vice-commander?”</p>
<p>The expression on his face was all that she needed to see in order to know that he does have a plan, though a few moments later, she told herself that that was not really that surprising, after all, if he does not actually have a plan to get them out of there, then all of that talk that they just had would have been for naught.</p>
<p>It was also that expression that he was wearing that convinced the Marchioness that whatever the plan of the vice-commander would be, it was something that would not involve this rather short-ranged ship that they were now in at the moment.</p>
<p>To the surprise of the Marchioness, however, it was not actually Sir Ian who answered the question that she had asked, rather, it was the Countess of Madison who, a few moments later, audibly cleared her throat. As that was an obviously deliberate action on the part of Lady Ava, the Marchioness turned her attention toward the direction of the Countess, and as she did so, she placed a questioning expression on her face.</p>
<p>“If the purpose of those who have attacked us is to take over the Kingdom, then they would soon lift the orbital blockade and there may even be a resumption of interstellar trade,” she said. Lady  Ellie caught her student glance toward the direction of the vice-commander before she added as she turned her complete attention back toward the direction of the Marchioness, “In that instance, my Lady, it would be easy for an interstellar trader to suddenly be lost from the scopes of traffic control.”</p>
<p>‘<em>In other words, you want us to wait for that to happen, then procure a ship and once we have launched, we hide behind one of the moons,’</em> Lady Ellie thought, and at the same time that those thoughts entered the forefront of her mind, the Marchioness was already beginning to think of anything that she could take negatively about this plan. The only one that she could come up with, however, would be that they would have to wait a considerable amount of time before they can kick start this plan, after all, they have to wait for their adversaries to resume their march.</p>
<p>‘<em>We would have to wait anyway,’</em> she thought, before she focused her attention toward the direction of the Countess, “And we have a ship?” she asked.</p>
<p>Lady Ava actually smiled, “that would be the easy part, my Lady, after all, last time I checked, there are over a hundred thousand interstellar trading ships that call Serendipity their home, and we only need one.”</p>
<p>The Marchioness smiled back in response, “Indeed,” she said, but then the smile faded from her face as she returned her attention toward the direction of the vice-commander and asked, “but we need to leave this place?”</p>
<p>If she was being honest, the Marchioness would have to admit that she already knew the answer to the question, but she still asked it because she wanted to hear the reason – though again, that was also something that the Marchioness was already aware of – straight from the mouth of the vice-commander.</p>
<p>“Yes, my Lady,” he replied. He did seem conflicted before he added, “The chances that they have traced our location through the communication device is rather high, even if we have actually destroyed the communication device.”</p>
<p>In reaction to those words, Lady Ellie closed her eyes before she allowed a soft sigh to escape from her lips. At the back of her mind, she could hear her own voice telling her that she should allow what she was thinking to escape through her lips, but she stopped herself from doing so as she knew that that would just cause them to try to convince her otherwise. At that moment, that was the last thing that the Marchioness wanted.</p>
<p>Lady Ellie opened her eyes a few moments later, and the first thing that she did once she had opened them was to stare at what was in front of her, because at that moment, Lady Ava took a step toward her, and much as her earlier action of pointedly clearing her throat had been, though before Lady Ellie could say anything, the Countess cut her off, “My Lady,” the Countess said, and there was something in the tone that she had used that convinced Lady Ellie that this is serious.</p>
<p>It was for that reason that she did not say anything, waiting instead for the Countess to finish speaking, and a few moments later, she added, “I would like to stay behind.”</p>
<p>This caused Lady Ellie to blink, but while her reaction was rather benign, the same could not be said about the reaction of Sir Ian, with the vice-commander possibly actually forgetting himself as he grabbed the shoulders of the Countess and forcing her to look at him even as he asked, “What are you talking about?”</p>
<p>Even if she was being manhandled at that moment, Lady Ava did not blink, “Someone has to stay behind if only to redirect the pursuers somewhere else,” she said, “and of all of us here, I am the best suited for that,” she paused before adding, “I am also the daughter of the Duke of Winnipeg, and that means that it is my duty to remain behind with my people.”</p>
<p>“No,” the Marchioness said a few moments later, and with that single word, she made both Lady Ava and Sir Ian turn their attention toward him. The two of them looked as if they actually wanted to say something – and she knew even if neither one of them had actually said anything that they are going to try to convince her of the benefits of their respective positions – though whatever it was that they wanted to say was cut off when they saw the expression on the face of the Marchioness.</p>
<p>“We go together,” the Marchioness suddenly said, before she allowed a small sigh to escape from her lips as she said, “We need to gather as much supplies as we could carry at least.”</p>
<p>If she was being honest, Lady Ellie would have to admit that she was expecting Lady Ava to protest – even if only for a bit, after all, the Countess looked as if she was being serious with the proposal that she put forth – and that is the reason why the Marchioness was surprised when instead of actually protesting, she saw the Countess nod a few moments later, causing Lady Ellie to wonder if the Countess had even been serious when she proposed to stay behind.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Aboard the <em>Bremerton</em>, Personal Yacht of the Duke of Olympia, Support Fleet </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>On orbit around Winnipeg, Stenlar Star System, (Occupied) Kingdom of Crotoa</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Lady Emma Charlotte Watts</strong>
</p>
<p>She knew that she was in an unfamiliar place and resting on top of an unfamiliar bed even before she had opened her eyes, and it was precisely because she knew that she was in an unfamiliar place that she had kept her eyes closed for as long as she did, even if she had actually returned to the fully conscious world. She could feel the clothes around her – that had been the first thing that she was worried about as she remembered where she was – though she could not feel anything covering her feet, but considering that she was on the top of a mattress, she supposed that that is to be expected, after all, not even these pirates would surely wear shoes on their beds.</p>
<p>A sigh escaped from the lips of Lady Emma at the same time that she tried to feel for anything around her body – metal cuffs on her wrists or ankles, or perhaps even a collar wrapped around her neck in imitation of what slaves are said to use to be forced to wear during their time of slavery – that she could interpret as restraints, but when she failed to feel one, she was forced to open her eyes so that she may search for it visually.</p>
<p>Part of the reason that she had restrained herself from opening her eyes was because she knew that if there was someone else in the room with her at that moment, then opening her eyes would tell them that she was awake, and though she would not readily admit it, the Countess would have to admit that she was afraid of what would happen to her if her captors were to realize that she was awake.</p>
<p>It was for that reason that she could not help but place a surprised expression on her face a few moments later when she realized that there was actually no one else in the room. That confused expression became more pronounced a few moments later as she finally allowed herself to look around, and she only had to look around once in order for the voice at the back of her head – which she recognized as her own – to tell her that perhaps the man who had taken her was telling the truth when he claimed that he is a Duke.</p>
<p>The room that she was in certainly advertised luxury and wealth, with a painting – more than twenty feet wide and almost seven feet high – to her side. The centerpiece of the painting was a castle, but if Lady Emma was being honest, it was actually the forest that was depicted behind the castle and the calm surface of the water – that was on the foreground – that took her attention. She briefly wondered if this painting was based on a real scene, but then blinked as she realized that the answer to that is probably true, and as that thought entered the forefront of her mind, she turned her attention away from the painting, focusing it instead toward the direction in front of the bed.</p>
<p>As she did so, she realized that there must be some sort of sensor of some sort that noticed that she was looking at that direction, because the moment that she turned her attention toward that direction, the gold curtains that were covering the view parted, revealing a large window – it was just as large as the painting that she had just been staring at – that clearly showed to her that she was now in space.</p>
<p>The Countess only had the glance at the bluish surface of the large body in front of her in order for her to realize that she was staring at the surface of the moon known as Winnipeg, and that was all that she needed to realize that she was still in the Stenlar System.</p>
<p>She turned her attention toward her right – the direction opposite the giant painting – and saw that that part of the room that she was in was actually longer, though it was not empty. True, there was no one there, but she could see the comfortable looking sofas and chairs arranged in an ‘L’ and the two floor-to-ceiling wooden cabinets that appear to be filled to the brim with books.</p>
<p>Having pushed her upper body off of the surface of the bed in order to afford herself the flexibility to look around, the Countess now swung her legs toward the right side – she assumed that the direction where the bed was facing would be the front – of the bed, and in short order, she was back on her feet. The objective of the Countess was to head over to where the books are located so that she may look at them – and even she would have to admit that the reason was so that she could get a glimpse into what her captor is like through those books that he keeps in his room – but just as she took her third step, she suddenly paused.</p>
<p>Lady Emma turned her attention toward her right side again and found herself staring at a six feet wide passageway with a door at the far end of the same. She could not be sure how long the passageway was, but if she were to make a guess, then she would say that it was at least twenty feet, though it was not the door at the far end – which she instinctively realized was the way out of this room – that she turned her attention upon, rather, she turned her attention toward two doors that were, at that moment closed, and facing each other, about halfway from where she stood and the egress point.</p>
<p>She blinked a few moments later as she suddenly realized that rather than a pirate ship, she was actually in some sort of luxury liner, and for a brief moment, she wondered if this ship had been a prize that her captor had taken earlier in his career, and had somehow refurbished. She was still thinking about that when a sound coming from the direction of the door at the far end of the passageway tore her out of her reverie, and as she turned her attention toward the direction of the same, she heard a voice coming from the direction of the other side.</p>
<p>“My Lady,” the voice said, “May I come in?”</p>
<p>The fact that she was being asked permission caused Lady Emma to blink, but it was not only the fact that the person at the other side was asking that made her pause. The other factor that surprised her would be the fact that it was obvious from the voice of the person at the other side that the one who was asking for permission was a woman.</p>
<p>Unsure of how to reply – indeed, she was not even sure of how her captors had realized that she was awake, but she supposed that that had something to do with the sensors that opened the curtain for her when she turned to look at the front of the bed – the Countess instead turned her attention back toward the direction of the front of the room, and she blinked when she saw herself staring back at her.</p>
<p>Quick to realize that it was only a mirror, Lady Emma prevented the surprised sound from escaping from her lips easily enough, but she still found herself staring at herself because it was only at that moment that the Countess realized that, aside from her shoes, she was still wearing the same clothes that she was wearing when she tried to attack the man who had labelled himself as the Duke of Olympia.</p>
<p>“My Lady?” there was the faintest hint of worry in the tone that the woman at the other side of the door had used to ask that question, and that was all that Lady Emma needed to hear in order to know that if she does not reply, then whoever was at the other side of the door was going to enter the room with or without her permission.</p>
<p>It was for that reason that, a few moments later, the Countess finally replied, “Give me a moment, please,” she said.</p>
<p>The Countess turned her head toward random directions in quick succession, looking for something that she could use in order to defend herself, though it only took her a heartbeat or two to realize that she would not actually be able to find anything, after all, it was obvious that her captors had removed anything that she could have used as a weapon.</p>
<p>With that in mind, she instead made her way toward the direction of egress and though a part of her noted that the door was not actually locked, she was still the one to open the door a few moments later, finding herself face with a young woman who was almost the same height as her.</p>
<p>Whatever musings were on the mind of Lady Emma at that moment were, however, put on hold a few moments later as the young woman in front of her then performed a perfect curtsy before she introduced herself, “My Lady, I am Elizabeth Harwood,” she said, and as she recovered from the curtsy, she added, “For the time being, His Grace, the Duke of Cornwall had asked me to act as your lady-in-waiting.”</p>
<p>Lady Emma found herself staring at the young woman in front of her, questions going through the forefront of her mind, but after a while, the first question that escaped from the lips of the Countess was “Duke of Cornwall?”</p>
<p>“You know him as the Duke of Olympia, my Lady,” she heard a voice coming from the direction of her left-hand side, and she turned his attention toward that direction just in time to see a man approaching them, and the moment that she saw the man, the Countess raised her guard.</p>
<p>The reason for her reaction was because of the uniform that the man was wearing. The short-sleeved khaki button-up shirt that he was wearing was certainly different from the one that she had seen the men who were with her captors – after all, they are all wearing armor – but she knew in an instant that this man that was now in front of her is a subordinate of the man who had taken her.</p>
<p>As the man approached, however, he bowed toward the direction of Lady Emma, and for a brief moment, that action on the part of the man made the Countess feel foolish, after all, the fact that he had bowed in front of her and toward her was obviously in deference to her.</p>
<p>Perhaps it was an attempt on her part to chase away the feeling of foolishness that she was feeling at that moment that she decided instead to replay the words that have escaped from the man, and as she did so, she could not help but wonder how many other titles her captor would have under his hat even as she told herself that in the Kingdom of Crotoa, it is not possible for someone to hold two Duke ranks – except, of course, for members of the Royal Family.</p>
<p>As that thought entered the forefront of her mind, however, the Countess reminded herself that her captor had said something to the effect of him giving up his claim to the Golden Throne so that he can have her for himself, and as she remembered the exact words that he had used, Lady Emma realized that her captor is a member of the Royal Family of whatever sovereign state it was that they had come from.</p>
<p>“My Lady?” the voice of the man forced Lady Emma out of her reverie, and before she realized what she was doing, she had already turned her attention toward the direction of the speaker, but before she could say anything, the man added, “My apologies for not introducing myself sooner,” he said, and he did not actually wait for her to say anything before he added, “I am Rear Admiral Richard Granger, Senior Adjutant, General-Admiral, Imperial Terra Grand Fleet.”</p>
<p>Even before Lady Emma could ask the military officer – and here, she noted the two triangles that were pinned on the right collar of the man – what his duties are, she was interrupted by the only other person who was near them, and that was true even if the woman who is supposed to be the lady-in-waiting to Lady Emma did not direct the words that had escaped from her lips toward the Countess.</p>
<p>“Richard,” she said, and there was a warning in the tone that she had used.</p>
<p>Lady Emma watched as Rear Admiral Granger turned his attention away from Lady Emma, “Baroness,” he suddenly said, and that was all that Lady Emma needed to hear in order to realize that her earlier suspicion in regards to the woman who is supposed to be her lady-in-waiting is correct, and that was that this woman is a member of the peerage as well.</p>
<p>The brief pause that followed after Lady Emma realized that, but she was not the one who had interrupted the silence that had descended as that was a task that Rear Admiral Granger took on for himself, “We have received new orders from His Grace,” he said.</p>
<p>Lady Emma glanced toward the direction of her supposed lady-in-waiting just in time to see her eyes widen for a bit, but she also got the distinct impression that the reason that she reacted the way that she had is because she was surprised by the change of plans. Even before the Countess could continue with that line of thought, however, the Baroness suddenly asked, “What did His Grace want now?”</p>
<p>The tone that the Baroness had used caused Lady Emma to blink as she realized that the Baroness was not hiding her disdain, and it was at that moment that she realized that her lady-in-waiting is most likely related to the man wo had taken her captive.</p>
<p>Indeed, that impression was further reinforced a few moments later by the fact that a sigh escaped from the lips of Rear Admiral Granger a few moments later, and it was obvious that the reason why that was the only reaction that the officer had is because he could not call out the Baroness for the way that she had referred to his commanding officer. It did not mean, however, that Rear Admiral Granger did not have a way of showing his displeasure aside from that sigh, because he actually ignored the Baroness, and instead, he turned his attention toward the direction of Lady Emma.</p>
<p>“My Lady, if you would please follow me?” he asked, though Lady Emma would have to admit that she was not sure if that was a request or if that was an order, because Rear Admiral Granger did not even wait for her to say anything before he turned his back toward her and he started to walk away.</p>
<p>Rather than follow after the Senior Adjutant, however, the Countess instead turned her attention toward the direction of the Baroness so that she could see what kind of expression was on the face of Lady – or at least, Lady Emma assumed that that was the proper term to use – Elizabeth. To the surprise of the Countess, however, Lady Elizabeth had already turned her own attention toward Lady Emma, and when she realized that the Countess was already looking at her, the Baroness instead politely inclined his head toward the direction of the back of Rear Admiral Granger, indicating that they should follow him.</p>
<p>They had to increase the pace with which they are walking in order to catch up with Rear Admiral Granger, though they were able to catch up to him when he paused in front of two doors that Lady Emma recognized as the doors for an elevator. Without even turning his attention toward the direction of Lady Emma, the Senior Adjutant asked, “Did you see the painting by the side of the bed, my Lady?”</p>
<p>The question was not one that Lady Emma was expecting, which is why she took a good two seconds before she actually nodded. She would have answered verbally as well, but at that moment, the words that were about to come out of her mouth were cut off as the door in front of them opened, revealing a relatively small elevator car, and with a single motion, Rear Admiral Granger motioned for her to enter the elevator first.</p>
<p>She hesitated, but then she realized that they would not have gone through all the trouble that they had already gone through if they just wanted to trap her in an elevator, which was why she stepped into the car a few moments later, and Rear Admiral Granger and Lady Elizabeth followed a few moments later.</p>
<p>“That is Bremerton Castle, my Lady,” Rear Admiral Granger said as the door in front of them opened. Lady Emma felt the lift car that they were in move downward, and that was quickly followed by the Senior Adjutant adding, “It would be your castle, my Lady.”</p>
<p>Lady Emma blinked as she turned her attention toward the direction of the Senior Adjutant, and using her peripheral vision, she saw that she was not the only one who had blinked because Lady Elizabeth also had the same reaction. It was rather obvious that the Baroness did not expect the words that have just escaped from the lips of Rear Admiral Granger.</p>
<p>Indeed, a few moments later, Lady Elizabeth actually spoke, “Duchess of Olympia?” she asked, and when Rear Admiral Granger nodded, the Baroness added, “Consort?”</p>
<p>This time, Rear Admiral Granger shook his head, and Lady Emma saw a frown appear on the face of the Baroness, followed by the younger woman – or at least, that was how it looked to the Countess – parting her lips as she obviously wanted to say something. Whatever that something is, however, it was something that only Lady Elizabeth would know because Rear Admiral Granger quickly added, “Wife.”</p>
<p>Lady Emma blinked as she realized that they were talking about her, though she realized that she should have realized that even before the moment that she did. Of course, at that moment, she realized that they were talking about her because she remembered the promise that the Duke of Olympia had said before he killed her fiancée. He promised that he would make her a bride, but his own, which meant that he intended to marry her.</p>
<p>The Countess was not even aware that her fingers were digging painfully onto the skin of her palms until a few moments later when the Baroness suddenly asked, “He is such an asshole, isn’t he, my Lady?”</p>
<p>From the frown that appeared on the face of Rear Admiral Granger, it was obvious that the Baroness was talking about his commanding officer. Again, Lady Emma was struck by that, though before she could say anything about it, Lady Elizabeth added, “He may not look like it, but my cousin delights in doing things that tend to outrage people.”</p>
<p>Lady Emma blinked again, realizing that in the words that the Baroness had just uttered, she found the answer that she was looking for. She was distracted, however, by the chime that came from the direction of the door of the elevator, and she turned her attention toward that direction just in time to see the doors opening, revealing another passageway, though this one was shorter and Lady Emma could see that there are large double doors at the end of the short corridor.</p>
<p>Flanking either side of the double doors were two men wearing a more ornate uniform than the one that Rear Admiral Granger was wearing. The two marines – for they could not be anything but – flanking the door snapped to attention the moment that the doors to the elevators opened, and for a brief moment, Lady Emma could not help but wonder if the reason that they had snapped to attention was because of her.</p>
<p>The Countess, however, was quick to chase that thought away from the forefront of her mind, even as she told herself that it was rather obvious that the reason why they had snapped to attention was because of Rear Admiral Granger.</p>
<p>“My Lady, please,” Rear Admiral Granger suddenly said, once more forcing the Countess to return to the present, and this time, when she turned her attention toward the direction of the Senior Adjutant, she saw that he had indicated that she should be the first to exit the lift, which the Countess did a few moments later.</p>
<p>“The General-Admiral had indicated that you can stay here for as long as you want, my Lady, or at least, until the ceremony,” Rear Admiral Granger said even as he nodded toward the marines who were flanking the doors, and one of them opened the door that he was nearest to, revealing a rather cavernous interior.</p>
<p>It was not, however, the large size of the room that took the attention of Lady Emma, rather, it was what was inside the room, because before she could actually cross the threshold, she could see that there are at least two dozen coffins inside the room, arranged in such a way that convinced her that they are actually lying in state.</p>
<p>As she approached the door, she could see that all of the coffins had flags of the Kingdom of Crotoa on top of them, acting as palls, and that told her that every single person whose body was lying on state inside that rather cavernous room is a subject of the Kingdom of Crotoa. In other words, she was about to walk into a room where their enemies had deigned to give the fallen sons of the Kingdom of Crotoa a decent funeral.</p>
<p>The eyes of Lady Emma widened a few moments later when she saw that some of the coffins not only had the flag of the Kingdom of Crotoa as palls, as those other coffins had sheathed swords as well, and that meant that those lying in those coffins are members of the Knight-Order.</p>
<p>“He is near the front, my Lady,” the voice of Rear Admiral Granger tore the Countess out of her reverie, and she turned her attention toward the direction of the Senior Adjutant only for her to see him incline his head toward the direction opposite where they had entered. She did not even need to ask him who he was referring to, but before she could actually walk toward the coffin that she knew would contain the mortal remains of the man who – just that morning – had asked her to marry him, she paused as she realized that at that moment, there was actually no one else in the room aside from herself and the Senior Adjutant.</p>
<p>Perhaps he had realized that she had noticed, or perhaps it was because it was the proper time, but at that moment, Rear Admiral Granger spoke, “As I had said earlier, my Lady, you are allowed to remain here for as long as you wish and until the internment ceremony, but I am required to remind you, my Lady, that all actions have consequences, and His Grace had informed me that you are already aware of what would happen to the people of Serendipity should you do something that His Grace had termed as foolish.”</p>
<p>There was a part of Lady Emma that wanted to scream at the Senior Adjutant at that moment, and indeed, there was a part of her that wanted to run toward the nearest sword in the room and use it to run him down – or maybe even herself – but those parts of her were silenced as the Countess consciously reminded herself of the threat that the Duke of Olympia had given her earlier, and in the face of that, the Countess of Gray Haven could only nod.</p>
<p>“For what it is worth, my Lady,” he suddenly said, “You have my condolences.”</p>
<p>He did not wait for her to say anything in response to those words, however, before he turned around and walked out of the room, the sounds of his footsteps becoming more and more distant as the distance between him and the Countess increased.</p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Lady Emma makes a life-changing decision<br/>Lili tried to hide something from Lady Ellie and Lady Ava<br/>Lord Alexander tells Lady Emma what he had planned for her and some of the reasons why he wants her<br/>Lady Ava tries to assuage Lady Ellie that nothing would happen to Lady Emma</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>TEN</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Class Overview</strong>
</p>
<p><strong>Name: </strong><em>Bremerton</em>-class Interstellar Cruise Liner</p>
<p><strong>Operator: </strong>Duchy of Olympia</p>
<p><strong>Preceded by</strong>: None</p>
<p><strong>Succeeded by: </strong>None planned</p>
<p><strong>Cost</strong>: 16.079 million credits</p>
<p><strong>Completed: </strong>1</p>
<p>
  <strong>Historical Overview</strong>
</p>
<p><strong>Name</strong>: <em>Bremerton</em></p>
<p><strong>Namesake: </strong>the city of Bremerton, location of Bremerton Castle, seat of power of the Duke of Olympia</p>
<p><strong>Ordered: </strong>April 27 1935 AE</p>
<p><strong>Designer:</strong> Bremerton Shipping Company</p>
<p><strong>Builder: </strong>John &amp; Martin Clyde Shipping and Logistics Corporation</p>
<p><strong>Laid Down: </strong>June 21, 1935 AE</p>
<p><strong>Launched</strong>: January 27, 1936 AE</p>
<p><strong>Commissioned</strong>: April 12, 1936 AE</p>
<p><strong>Decommission</strong>: </p>
<p><strong>Identification</strong>: LL-2705S</p>
<p><strong>Motto: </strong>By and by</p>
<p><strong>Fate</strong>:</p>
<p>
  <strong>General Characteristics</strong>
</p>
<p><strong>Class and Type</strong>: <em>Bremerton</em>-class Interstellar Cruise Liner (Fast Combat Support Ship)</p>
<p><strong>Displacement: </strong>64,723 tons (light); 66,505 tons (standard); 73,452 tons (normal); 79,010 tons (maximum)</p>
<p><strong>Length</strong>: 324 meters (1,062.99 feet)</p>
<p><strong>Beam</strong>: 41.4 meters (135.83 feet)</p>
<p><strong>Height (Hull Only): </strong>17.46 meters (57.28 feet)</p>
<p><strong>Power:</strong> 216,528 ghp (limited)</p>
<p><strong>Propulsion</strong>: Orion Propulsion LL-3N Nuclear Fusion Reactor (x6); Martini-Trondheim GH-17-A Electric Generators (x20); Warsilla-Royce LS-2C Ion Thrust Maneuver Propulsion Drive (x4)</p>
<p><strong>Speed: </strong>31 sKn (92,935,661.98 kilometers per hour)</p>
<p><strong>FTL Drive: </strong>Senodyne Industries Ltd Mk-IF Warp Drive; Kilmer &amp; Kilmer Industries Ltd. Spec.D-II Hyper-drive</p>
<p><strong>Endurance: </strong>416 days at 18 sKn (53,962,642.44 kilometers per hour)</p>
<p><strong>Complement</strong>: 2230 (standard); 2900 (maximum)</p>
<p><strong>Armament: </strong>12 – 4.50’/45 heavy rail-cannons (secondary battery); 40 – 1.1’/75 anti-aircraft cannons (heavy anti-aircraft cannons); 40 – 0.79’/70 anti-aircraft guns (light anti-aircraft cannons)</p>
<p><strong>Armor</strong>: (Main belt) 9’; (Lower belt) 6’; (Deck) 5’; (Conning Tower) 8’</p>
<p><strong>Aviation Facilities: </strong>2 VUH-5N ‘White Falcon’ VIP Shuttle; 6 – UH-6D ‘Savior’ Shuttle</p>
<p>
  <strong>Construction and Naming</strong>
</p>
<p>Following the appointment of Lord Alexander Charles York, Duke of Olympia as a the General-Admiral of the Imperial Terra Grand Fleet in 1935 AE, the local parliament of the Duchy of Olympia voted for the construction of a personal yacht for the Duke of Olympia with the intention of seconding the same to Grand Fleet as part of the support fleet for the same.</p>
<p>Although Lord Alexander had requested for a ship that was less than half the size of the ship that the <em>Bremerton</em> would be, on April 27, 1935 AE, Governor Edward ‘ED’ Dyne approved the construction of the yacht following the design submitted by the Bremerton Shipping Company.</p>
<p>Construction began on June 21, 1935 AE at Yard 273 of the John &amp; Martin Clyde Shipping and Logistics Corporation Shipbuilding Facility on orbit around Venus, with the launch of the ship occurring on January 27, 1936 AE, with Lord Alexander, the Duke and Duchess of Maryland, and other dignitaries present. Lady Clarice Rachel York, Baroness of Annapolis and younger sister of Lord Alexander, launched the ship with a bottle of wine from the Duchy of Carpentaria which was given to Lord Alexander just five days previously.</p>
<p><em>Bremerton</em> was commissioned into the ready reserve of the Imperial Terran Navy on April 12, 1936 AE, with Lord Alexander as nominal captain, and with Commander Raphael Nelson – who would later be the captain of <em>HMS Iron Duke</em> – as the actual captain.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Propulsion</strong>
</p>
<p>The <em>Bremerton</em> is equipped with six Orion Propulsion LL-3N Nuclear Fusion Reactors as its main power-plant. These are fifth generation nuclear fusion engines designed specifically for use aboard large and fast interstellar ships and yachts, with most of the contemporaries of the <em>Bremerton</em> coming equipped with one or two of these engines in addition to smaller supplementary engines as was practice in the private industry. The <em>Bremerton</em>, however, was built up to Imperial Navy Standards as she was expected to accompany the fleet on operational deployments.</p>
<p>The reactors provide power for twenty Martini-Trondheim GH-17-A Electric Generators, with each generator capable of providing 20,000 ghp of power, though they are electronically limited to less than sixty percent of their maximum output for everyday use.</p>
<p>At least two electric generators provide power for each of the four Warsilla-Royce LS-2C Ion Thrust Maneuver Propulsion Drive which could propel the <em>Bremerton</em> to speeds in excess of 31 sKn. Reports from the trials of the <em>Bremerton</em> had indicated that she had reached the maximum speed of 32.65 sKn during her run from Venus to Jupiter.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Utilities</strong>
</p>
<p>Despite having been designed to keep up with the Imperial Terra Grand Fleet, the <em>Bremerton </em>was also designed to provide the Duke of Olympia with an official residence away from Bremerton Castle, and as such, the yacht was designed as a luxury liner with the designers favoring the extensive use of load-bearing glass walls for the public parts of the vessel. Hand-stitched carpets also cover the floors intended for the use of the Duke of Olympia and his guests, with all rooms having their own climate control independent of the central climate control serving the rest of the ship</p>
<p>
  <span class="u">Accommodations</span>
</p>
<p>The largest cabin aboard the <em>Bremerton</em> would be the flag-quarters located just below the main bridge of the ship and intended for the use of the Duke of Olympia as his personal quarters. Within an area of approximately two hundred twenty square meters, the flag-quarters contains the personal office of the Duke, a full-beam bedroom, a personal communications suite, and several other rooms that are available for his use. As of 1949 AE, it is reported that the Duke had transformed one of the rooms into a small library and a wine cellar, though it is not known what had been done to the other rooms.</p>
<p>According to unofficial sources, the extra rooms in the flag-quarters is intended for the use of the consorts of the Duke of Olympia.</p>
<p>It is reported, that the Duke of Olympia disliked the luxurious interior of his personal accommodation aboard the yacht that he prefers to remain aboard his flagship rather than return to the yacht.</p>
<p>There are five first-class cabins aboard the <em>Bremerton</em>, with one of these reserved for the captain of the ship, and the other four for important personages invited to travel aboard the ship. Originally, these cabins are planned for the use of the members of the Imperial Family, though with the launch of the <em>Bremerton</em>, almost every other member of the Imperial Family had begun to commission their own personal yachts for their use.</p>
<p>There are a total of twenty-five second-class cabins aboard the <em>Bremerton</em>, with most of these reserved for the officers aboard the ship, including the ship-doctor who is a commissioned member of the Imperial Medical Corps.</p>
<p>Even the lowest ranking merchant sailors aboard the <em>Bremerton</em> are afforded relatively luxurious lodgings, with each cabin having its own associated comfort-rooms, most of which are located within the cabins itself.</p>
<p>
  <span class="u">On-board Hospital</span>
</p>
<p>Part of the duties of the <em>Bremerton</em> is to act as a casualty collection ship should the need arise, and for that purpose, the <em>Bremerton </em>is equipped with a Class-IV seaborne hospital with a full staff. Complicated medical operations up to and including heart surgery may be completed aboard one of the six fully equipped operating rooms that are part of the hospital suite of the <em>Bremerton</em>.</p>
<p>As the purpose of the <em>Bremerton</em> in this regard is to transport casualties rather than provide the care needed, the hospital capacity of the <em>Bremerton</em> is rather limited to just two hundred beds. As part of its patient-transfer function, the <em>Bremerton </em>operates 6 UH-6D ‘Savior’ Shuttles which are modified Geese shuttles for the purpose of transferring casualties from ship to ship.</p>
<p>Prior to the opening of the Great Crusade, Lady Elizabeth Harwood, Baroness of Land’s End and cousin of Lord Alexander served as Chief Medical Officer aboard the <em>Bremerton</em>.</p>
<p>
  <span class="u">Cargo Hold</span>
</p>
<p>The <em>Bremerton</em> carries six class IV – equivalent to that of a heavy cruiser – cargo decks, with the first four located to the fore of the ship and the last two toward the aft section and just forward of the hangar. The cargo decks are capable of storing whatever cargo may be necessary for the support of the fleet, with the aft cargo decks specifically configured to act as reserved hangars should that prove necessary.</p>
<p>All six of the cargo decks are capable of being opened directly, allowing for a faster ingress and egress of supplies, with typically all six open when the ship is storing cargo.</p>
<p>
  <span class="u">Aviation Facilities</span>
</p>
<p>In addition to the six UH-6D ‘Savior’ Shuttles, the <em>Bremerton</em> also operates two VUH-5N ‘White Falcon’ shuttles intended for the transport of VIP guests to and from the yacht. The <em>Bremerton</em> has an aft-hangar space capable of taking twelve shuttles of the same size as the Saviors, with those berths usually being taken over by UH-6M ‘Geese’ Shuttles from the rest of the fleet.</p>
<p>The aft-hangar deck of the <em>Bremerton</em> is fully equipped and could assemble and disassemble a UH-6M within five hours.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Armaments</strong>
</p>
<p>Although intended to form part of the support fleet of the Imperial Terra Grand Fleet, the <em>Bremerton</em> carries rail-cannons and anti-aircraft guns, though purely for the purpose of self-defense.</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Aboard the <em>Bremerton</em>, Personal Yacht of the Duke of Olympia, Support Fleet </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>On orbit around Winnipeg, Stenlar Star System, (Occupied) Kingdom of Crotoa</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Lady Emma Charlotte Watts</strong>
</p>
<p>She stared at the coffin in front of her with unshed tears on her eyes and a fierce determined look on her face. If she were to be asked why she had that expression on her face, she would have to admit that she would not have been able to give an answer that would have satisfied herself, because she would have to admit that she was not sure who that fierce expression that she was wearing at that moment was intended for, because while it could be said that it was intended for the man who had killed her fiancé – and whose body was now lying inside the coffin that was in front of her – the fact of the matter was that if that was the case, then it was a waste, considering that the man that was supposed to see that expression was not even aboard the same ship as her at that moment.</p>
<p>Alternatively, the scowl – for there was no other term that she would have used at that moment – that she was wearing was actually directed toward the man whose mortal remains lie within the confine in front of her, and the reason for that expression that she was wearing had less to do with the fact that he had gotten himself killed and more to do with the fact that he had to place himself in a situation that ensured that he would have been killed no matter what he would have done.</p>
<p>She turned her attention toward the pall of the coffin in front of her and she noted the flag of the Kingdom of Crotoa and how that symbol was held in place by his sword. It was a sword that Lady Emma knew very well, not only because it was actually her father who had handed that sword to the knight whose mortal remains now lie inside the coffin in front of her, but also because prior to her father handing that sword, she had held it eve as the knight-candidates knelt and recited their vows of kinghood in front of the Duke of Moresby.</p>
<p>No cursing words escaped from the lips of Lady Emma at that moment, and it was because she knew that even if she were to curse at the top of her lungs, there would be no one who would have turned their attention toward her and would have reacted. It was true that there are more than two dozen people inside this rather cavernous interior – and she supposed that this was a hangar-bay of sorts – that she had found herself in, but of the more than two dozen people inside the room at that moment, there was only one person who is alive, and that was Lady Emma.</p>
<p>As for the others, they are all inside their own coffins, the flags of the Kingdom of Crotoa resting on the surface of the said caskets, with some of them held in place by swords that also marked the remains inside as belonging to other knights who had been killed during the invasion. Lady Emma is not sure why their adversaries had taken the bodies up to space and had placed them in the position where they are now, but if she was being honest, she did not think that it was because they intend to dishonor the bodies, indeed, as she allowed herself to look around the room once more, the Countess of Gray Haven could not help but remark to herself that the set-up that she had found herself in reminded her of a full military funeral, as conducted by the Kingdom of Crotoa.</p>
<p>Indeed, the only difference that the Countess could see at that moment would be the total absence of an honor guard – though she supposed that it was because she was inside the room, after all, her escorts had informed her that she was to be allowed as much privacy as applicable for as long as she wanted – and the fact that there are about two dozen coffins inside the hold.</p>
<p>Had their adversaries wanted to rub their victory and dishonor the mortal remains of those who have died during the invasion, then they would not have bothered to do this, instead, they would have just left the bodies to rot where they had fallen.</p>
<p>The Countess turned her attention back toward the direction of the sword of her fiancée – ‘<em>former fiancée now,’</em> she thought with a bitter smile on her face – and she could not help but turn her thoughts to the prospect of pulling the sword out of place and using the blade to end her life.</p>
<p>It was rather obvious in the mind of Lady Emma what the reason for her being given the opportunity to say goodbye to her fiancé was, but even as her thoughts turned to that, she could not help but close her eyes as she remembered the threat that the man who had killed the man that she loves had given her. He had promised her that if she were to do something foolish and deny herself to him, then he would kill everyone on Serendipity, and Lady Emma could remember the serious expression that he had worn when he promised her that.</p>
<p>That expression that he had worn was the only thing that the Countess needed to see in order to know that he was serious when he had delivered that threat.</p>
<p>Lady Emma turned her gaze away from the sword at the same time that she stood from where she was seated, and with less than half a dozen steps, she found herself standing close enough to the side of the coffin in front of her that she could actually touch the surface of the same. It was a standard coffin which meant that she need only to turn her attention slightly to the top of the same in order to be able to see the face of the man that she loved through the glass – the Duke of Olympia might have cut off his head, but his undertakers had somehow managed to reattach it – but Lady Emma did not do that as she realized that doing so would give her captor exactly what he wanted to see at that moment, or at least, what she thought he wanted to see.</p>
<p>That would be the unshed tears that the Countess had been holding back finally spilling from her eyes, and as that thought arrived at the forefront of her mind, the Countess told herself that there are, most surely, several cameras inside this hold that are watching her even at that moment.</p>
<p>She had no doubt that, even at that moment, her escorts – Rear Admiral Granger and Lady Elizabeth, Baroness of Land’s End – were waiting for her at the other side of the door that they had used to enter this cavernous room, and Lady Emma would have to admit that she had gotten the impression that the two of them would have waited for her no matter how long she would have taken.</p>
<p>Part of her wanted to stay inside this place for as long as possible, and wait until the ceremony – as she was sure that there would be one – to send these bodies on their way had finished, yet at the same time, the Countess told herself that she could not actually do that. She told herself that she needed to meet with the man who was holding her leash – and at that moment, though she meant that figuratively, she could not help but remark that it might become quite literal in the near future – in order to put her own plans into fruition.</p>
<p>‘<em>What are you thinking of doing?’</em> the voice came not from behind the head of the Countess of Madison but from toward her side, and she turned her attention toward that direction just in time to see the man that she loves take a step toward her direction. She knew that she was not really seeing him at that moment, rather, she was only imagining him there, and if there was someone else in the room who was with her, they would probably have already asked her why she had turned her attention toward that direction.</p>
<p>In that regards, the Countess could not help but be thankful that there was no one else in this interior as she would not have wanted anyone to interrupt this conversation – her final conversation – with the man that she loves even if deep inside, Lady Emma knew that the only one that she was having a conversation with would be her own subconscious who had taken the form of the man that she knew she wanted to marry since she was sixteen years old.</p>
<p>‘<em>Revenge,’ </em>the Countess thought. Once more, she reminded herself that there are cameras inside his interior, and while she was not sure if those cameras could actually read her lips, she decided against taking the chance. Besides, it was another way for her to remind herself that this conversation that she was imagining she was having at that moment was actually something that was only taking place in her mind.</p>
<p>The figure in front of her scoffed – and if she was being honest, Lady Emma would have to admit that that was a reminder that she was having this conversation only in her mind, because there was no way that Sir Leo would have scoffed at her, she would not have allowed him – but before she could say anything, she heard him speak, though again, it was only in her mind, ‘<em>You have tried to do that already, and you did not manage to do anything.’</em></p>
<p>This time, it was her turn to scoff at the figure in front of her, ‘<em>I might not be able to run him through with a sword, but I am a woman,’</em> she said.</p>
<p>As she had expected, the figure in front of her scowled in reaction to the words that she had allowed to enter the forefront of her mind. As the figure in front of her that she was imagining herself having a conversation with was actually a manifestation of her own consciousness, there was no need on the part of Lady Emma to ask it what that scowl that it was wearing was for. Indeed, if she was being honest, the Countess would have to admit that the only reason that the figure in front of her was scowling was because she imagined that Sir Leo would have been scowling in reaction to the words that she had uttered.</p>
<p>‘<em>Are you sure about this decision?’</em> she heard him ask, and that prompted Lady Emma to return her attention to the imaginary figure that she was imagining was in front of her. The scowl was still there on the face of the imaginary knight in front of her, but because the Countess did not say anything for a few moments, it would appear that the figure in front of her had taken that as permission to continue speaking, which was why a few moments, she saw him part his lips.</p>
<p>Lady Emma supposed that she could actually figure out what the next words that would come out of the mouth of the imaginary figure in front of her would be – after all, he is a figment of her imagination and power by her subconscious – but the Countess did not even bother to wait as she cut off whatever it was that the figure in front of her had wanted to say, ‘<em>Yes,’</em> she said with a single determined expression on her face.</p>
<p>It would appear that the way that she had responded to her own question had taken even her subconscious aback, because the figure in front of her had not said anything, and the fact that it had remained silent meant that the Countess of Gray Haven was able to continue speaking a few moments later, ‘<em>It is for the purpose of revenge,’</em> she said, though even the Countess would have to admit that perhaps the reason why she had allowed those thoughts to come to the forefront of her mind was so that she could remind herself.</p>
<p>‘<em>So, you plan to seduce him, let him take you to bed and turn you into his concubine?’</em> the figure in front of her asked, and even she could tell that there was anger behind the thoughts that were entering the forefront of her mind. It would not have been surprising, indeed, the Countess would have to admit that it would have been far more surprising if it were otherwise, after all, while the figure in front of her was a figment of her consciousness, it was representing what she believed Sir Leo would have said had he been alive.</p>
<p>The Countess would have been very surprised indeed if Sir Leo would have accepted that plan without stopping her, and indeed, it was precisely because he did not want the Countess to become practically the property of another man that his mortal remains now lies in front of that same Countess, after all, the only reason that Sir Leo had challenged the Duke of Olympia was because the said Duke had claimed Lady Emma for himself.</p>
<p>Reacting to the question that the figure in front of her had asked, Lady Emma forced herself to return to the present, and she schooled the features on her face with the intention of placing a determined expression there, ‘<em>Yes,’</em> she replied. She did pause briefly, however, before she forced herself to add, ‘<em>I know he wants me, which is why it would be easy, then when I have his heart, I will crush it.’</em></p>
<p><em>‘How do you even know that he would allow you that close?’</em> the figure asked, ‘<em>for all you know, he may bed you once then forget all about you after that.’</em></p>
<p>If she was being honest, the Countess would have to admit that she actually has no answer to that, because the figure in front of her had brought up something that the Countess would easily agree with, and that is, that she has no idea exactly why the Duke of Olympia wanted her.</p>
<p>She had no doubt that prior to the invasion, they had built a steady intelligence picture of the planet, and so, she knows that he is well aware that the Marchioness of Havenstark was on the planet. Speaking purely on political terms, the Marchioness would have made a better trophy, and besides, even Lady Emma would have to admit that the Lady Ellie was more beautiful than her. When it comes to physical appearance, Lady Ava, Countess of Madison, would have also beaten her.</p>
<p>‘<em>Ah,’</em> the figure that she was imagining in front of her suddenly said, forcing the Countess to return her attention back toward that direction. She was about to admonish the figure for interrupting her, but before she could actually say anything, the figure in front of her added, ‘<em>Do not forget that he went down to the planet months before the invasion so that he can see you.’</em></p>
<p><em>‘Yes,’</em> Lady Emma responded, ‘<em>but that was the first time that he had actually seen me.’</em></p>
<p>She blinked at that moment even as she realized that whatever it was that had attracted – or appear to have attracted – the Duke of Olympia to her, it had something to do with that visit. Of course, there was no way that she could answer that question at that moment, which was why a few moments later, the Countess shook her head before she added, ‘<em>It does not matter, I would find out by myself.’</em></p>
<p>There was silence in response to the thoughts that had just entered the forefront of the mind of the Countess, and she was so surprised by the fact of that silence that a few moments later, the Countess turned her attention toward the figure that she was imagining in front of her. The surprise that she was feeling at that moment became more pronounced when she saw that there was a sad smile on the face of Sir Leo when she turned her attention toward him.</p>
<p>The Countess was about to say something in response to the expression that the figure in front of her was wearing, but before she could say anything, he cut her off, ‘<em>Are you sure that you would be able to do it?’</em> he asked.</p>
<p>Her first reaction would have been to scoff and remind him of who she is, and indeed, at that moment, the Countess had actually formulated the words that she would have used, but when she saw the expression that he was wearing on his face, she faltered and paused. For close to five seconds, the two of them just stared at each other, but since it appears that the figure that she was imagining in front of her was not going to say anything, it fell to the Countess to be the one to break the silence and she let out a sigh a few moments later, ‘<em>No,’</em> she finally admitted a few moments later.</p>
<p>That served to break the figurative dam that had been holding back the true thoughts of the Countess, and before she could stop herself, she turned her attention away from the figure in front of her slammed both of her palms against the surface of the coffin that contained the mortal remains of the man that she loves. The sound that she made when she slammed her palms against the surface of the coffin echoed around her, though apparently, it was not loud enough that it alerted those who were waiting for her outside the room, and it was not strong enough to actually cause even a temporary dent on the surface of the coffin.</p>
<p>‘<em>Damn you, Leo,’</em> she thought, ‘<em>Why did you leave me?’</em></p>
<p>It was not only the anger that she was feeling at that moment that broke through the figurative dam that had been holding Lady Emma back, because at that moment, tears also began to spill from her eyes. Of course, she was able to stop the tears from spilling from her eyes – it was not, however, an easy task – a few moments later, though it did not mean that she was able to regain her composure readily.</p>
<p>Indeed, ten seconds passed before she inhaled – consolidating her strength as she did so – and she removed her hands from the coffin in front of her before she turned her attention back toward the figure that she was imagining to be in front of her. The thoughts that escaped from the lips of the Countess a few moments later was one that was marinated with strength and determination as she thought, ‘<em>I am Emma Charlotte Watts, Countess of Gray Haven, daughter of the Duke of Morseby, and of the House of Watts and Dartmoor,’ </em>she paused as she saw the smile that appeared on the face of the figure in front of her, but before he could say anything the Countess added, ‘<em>If giving up myself and my body is what I need to do in order to protect Crotoa is what I need to do, then that is what I will do.’</em></p>
<p>She paused at that moment and inhaled again, and even she would have to admit that, at that moment, she was still trying to consolidate her strength, before then she added, ‘<em>It would be a cheap price to pay if it means protecting our people.’</em></p>
<p>The smile that appeared on the face of Sir Leo at that moment was another reminder for the Countess, a reminder that the figure that she was imagining in front of him was nothing more than a figment of her imagination, because she was sure that if the figure in front of her is really the man who had – just a few hours ago – asked her to marry him, then he would not be wearing that smile. He would, instead, be asking her to do something else.</p>
<p>It was, however, something that the Countess would not be able to do.</p>
<p>‘<em>There is a reason why you are imagining me right now, Emma,’</em> the voice of the knight tore the Countess out of her reverie, and she once more focused her attention toward him. When she saw the smile that he was wearing, the only thing that Lady Emma could do was nod.</p>
<p>‘<em>I don’t want you to watch,’</em> she said, causing the figure in front of her to blink in confusion, ‘<em>the woman that I am about to become,’</em> the smile on her face at that moment widened, ‘<em>is someone that I am sure that you would never love, and that is why I do not want you to watch me.’</em></p>
<p>Even though the figure in front of her was just a figment of her imagination, it still managed to place a surprised expression on its face, ‘<em>Emma…,’</em> she heard it begin.</p>
<p>Again, Lady Emma knew what the figure was going to say because it is still part her consciousness, but she did not allow it to actually say anything before she cut it off, ‘<em>I love you, Leo, and I always will,’</em> she said, ‘<em>and it is because of that, that I do not want you to see what kind of woman I would become,’ </em>she paused briefly, and consolidating all of her strength as she realized that what she wanted to do at that moment was more difficult than she had imagined, she added, ‘<em>Goodbye, Leo.’</em></p>
<p>The Countess knew that the figure that she was imagining was going to say something, and she would also have to admit that, if she were to think about it even more, she would be able to tell exactly what it is that he wanted to say. The Countess, however, placed those thoughts at the back of her mind as she turned her attention away from him, and she did not even turn her attention toward the coffin, but instead, she focused her gaze toward the direction of the door.</p>
<p>A few moments later, the only sound that entered the ears of the Countess would be the sounds that she made as she walked toward the direction of the door. As she had resolved to not think about the man who had occupied her dreams for as long as she could remember, not even her thoughts had stopped her as she walked forward, and she soon found herself facing the door in front of her.</p>
<p>She may have no idea how to open the door in front of her, but in the end, it really did not matter because when she was just three feet away from it, the door opened by itself, and as she had expected, her escorts were waiting for her at the other side of the door, as well as the two marines that were flanking either side of the door, both of whom snapped to attention when the door opened.</p>
<p>“My Lady?” Rear Admiral Granger asked, and his words prompted the Countess to turn her attention toward his direction. To Lady Emma, it seemed as if he wanted to say something, but unlike that figment of her imagination that she had been having a conversation with, this time, there was actually no way for the Countess to be able to tell what it is that Rear Admiral Granger was going to say.</p>
<p>In the end, however, it does not matter, and as she told that to herself, the Countess inclined her head toward his direction, “Would it be possible,” she began, “for me to meet with the Duke?”</p>
<p>She had to actually remember to use those words, because if she was being honest, she would have to admit that she would have said something along the lines of ‘man who is holding my leash’ rather than is title, and she did not think that that would be viewed favorably by the people around her.</p>
<p>“Of course, my Lady,” Rear Admiral Granger said, “We have a shuttle prepared at the aft landing deck.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Reed Farm, Outside Madison City</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Serendipity, Stenlar Star System, (Occupied) Kingdom of Crotoa</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Pauline Lilian ‘Lili’ Reed</strong>
</p>
<p>She could hear them approaching her before she could actually see them because they were approaching from the direction of a corridor that intersected that one that she was on at an almost full ninety degrees. The of them were also having a conversation and the low murmurs of their voice carried through the air and onto her ears even if she could not see them, with the fact that they are speaking in rather low murmurs translating to her not actually realizing what they were talking about.</p>
<p>Lili told herself that it would arouse more suspicion on the part of the Marchioness of Havenstark and the Countess of Madison if they were to catch her just standing there and waiting for them, and because she had just been told by the vice-commander that she should not inform either the Marchioness or the Countess about the information that she had just delivered to him, the first thing that the blond did the moment that she realized that the two other women in the house was approaching her position was to transfer the electronic tablet that she had used in such a way that she placed it behind her back.</p>
<p>She closed her eyes at that moment even as she told herself that this was not the situation that she was expecting to find herself in when she returned to the farm two days ago. Usually, Lili would be at the city, attending to her job as a nurse at one of the hospitals there. As was typical of jobs like hers, however, she needed a break every once in a while, which was why she found herself returning home to help her father for the weekend, and if she was being honest, she would have to admit that she rather liked returning home, as it was not only the place where she grew up, it was also fun to be around the horses that her father seems to pick up every month or so.</p>
<p>Her mini-vacation was supposed to last only for three days, and had things gone the way that they should, she was supposed to return to the city tomorrow, but with things having changed, she did not think that she would be able to make the trip.</p>
<p>Lili closed her eyes slightly as she shook her head even as she told herself that walking out onto the front porch of her home and being told that they have guests in the person of the eldest niece of the king and the eldest daughter of their liege lord was not exactly what she thought she would be doing when she left the city three days ago, but that was exactly what had happened, and now, she had just finished speaking with the man who is in charge of the security and safety of those two noblewomen, with said man telling her that she should not tell the Marchioness anything.</p>
<p>She realized that perhaps resuming her trek back toward the room where the two of them were would have been the better thing to do, but she did not actually resume her trek as a voice at the back of her mind told her that there was no need for her to return to that place as the people that she was supposed to meet there were already obviously out of the room, indeed, at that moment, those two were heading toward her, and as that thought entered the forefront of her mind, Lili could not help but want to turn her back and flee back toward the room where the vice-commander and his subordinates were gathered.</p>
<p>If she was being honest, Lili would have to admit that she could not understand the reason why the vice-commander had asked her not to tell the Marchioness of Havenstark and the Countess of Madison anything about the information that she had just given him, after all, it was information that she thought that the two should know, but at the same time that that thought entered the forefront of her mind, that same voice behind her head reminded her that that is the reason why she is just a nurse and why the vice-commander is the vice-commander.</p>
<p>Any further musings on the part of Lili were placed on hold a few moments later, however, when the figure of Lady Ellie and Lady Ava finally appeared in front of her, and as the two of them were having a silent conversation, when the two of them realized that Lili was just standing there, they had surprised expressions on their faces even as they stared at her.</p>
<p>Realizing that she was on the spot at that moment – and that was quite literal – the blond nurse executed a perfect curtsy toward the direction of the two ladies, but even as she was executing that show of deference and respect, Lili knew that she would see a frown on the face of the two ladies when she turned her attention toward them a few moments later.</p>
<p>Indeed, when she recovered from the curtsy and focused her gaze upon the Marchioness and the Countess, that was exactly what she had seen.</p>
<p>There was even no need for her to ask either of them why they were wearing those frowns, after all, Lili already knew what the reason was, and as she fought the urge to curse – even if it was just going to be a mental curse – she reminded herself that both Lady Ellie and Lady Ava had already asked her that there was no need for her to curtsy at them every time that they would meet, or at all for that matter.</p>
<p>It was for that reason that, a few moments later, Lili realized that the actions that she had just taken actually made her even more suspicious in the eyes of the two noblewomen in front of her.</p>
<p>Indeed, a few moments later, Lili got the distinct impression that the Countess of Madison was sure that there was something that had happened, because a few moments later, Lady Ava turned her full attention toward the direction of Lili. While the tone that the Countess had used was pleasant, even Lili could tell that there was an edge there that suggested to her that she would not take Lili not answering for an aswer.</p>
<p>“Is there something wrong, Lili?” the Countess asked.</p>
<p>In response to the question that had escaped from the lips of the Countess of Madison, Lili tightened her grip on the table that she was holding, unsure if the either the Countess or the Marchioness could see what she was doing, though she fervently prayed at that moment that that was actually the case. Of course, as she knew that Lady Ava is not going to take her silence as an answer, Lili shook her head a few moments later and in rather hurried voice, she replied, “None, my Lady.”</p>
<p>Even to Lili, it was obvious that the rather hasty way that she had answered the question was a rather dead giveaway that she was hiding something from the two noblewomen in front of her, and indeed, a few moments later, she caught sight of the Countess turning her full gaze toward the direction of the Marchioness, with Lady Ellie already looking at the direction of Lady Ava even before the Countess did.</p>
<p>Lili knew, of course, that the official reason for the presence of the Marchioness of Havenstark on Serendipity had something to do with the Marchioness going for a vacation, but like all citizens in the planet, she had heard of the rumors as to the real reason for the presence of the Marchioness, and it was something that would have to do with the education of the Countess of Madison. That being the case, it was not out of the question that the two of them had learned to have a silent conversation by and between themselves without the use of words, and as the two of them stared at each other in front of Lili, the blond nurse could not deny that she was under the impression that that was exactly what the two of them were doing.</p>
<p>Of course, as the two of them were carrying out their conversation in pure silence, it was impossible for Lili to actually hear what the two of them were discussing.</p>
<p>If she was being honest, Lili would have to admit that, at that moment, she thought about retreating from their presence, but even as she was about to take the first step back, she involuntarily blinked as she realized that doing so would actually make these two women in front of her more suspicious.</p>
<p>At that moment, she realized that the two of them already knew that she was hiding a secret, though exactly what that secret is would be something that the two of them are not sure about. Logically, however, the two of them would believe that the secret that she is hiding from them would have something to do with the presence of the Marchioness on the farm, after all, that was the secret that is the one that they should hide the most.</p>
<p>With a start, Lili realized that at that moment, Lady Ellie and Lady Ava were having a silent discussion among themselves while in front of her, with the topic of their conversation being the possibility that Lili had revealed the presence of the Marchioness to their adversaries.</p>
<p>“My Lady,” Lili said a few moments later, and even the blond nurse was taken aback by the fact that she had spoken. Even if that was the reason, however, she realized that she had to speak, and in that regard, she was probably helped by the fact that both Lady Ellie and Lady Ava turned their attention toward her, and neither of them have an accusing expression on their faces.</p>
<p>“I just had a talk with the vice-commander,” she said, at the same time that she hoped that that would be enough to dismiss whatever suspicions that were surely forming on the minds of the two noblewomen, after all, if the conversation that Lili just had was with the man who is in charge of their security, then there is no way that she could have betrayed the presence of the Marchioness and her party to those who are chasing after them.</p>
<p>It was Lady Ava who gave a nod in response to the words that have escaped from the lips of the nurse, but even if the Countess had given that nod, the expression on her face clearly told Lili that both the Marchioness and the Countess are going to ask him what the topic of that conversation that she had with the vice-commander was. It was precisely that, however, that the vice-commander had warned Lili that she should not reveal to the Marchioness.</p>
<p>A few moments later, the question that Lili did not want either Lady Ellie or Lady Ava to ask escaped from the lips of the Countess as she asked, “What was that conversation about, Lili?”</p>
<p>The blond nurse blinked even as she involuntarily tightened her grip upon the electronic tablet that she was holding onto behind her back, and this time, she was certain that her actions had caused the two noblewomen in front of her to turn their attention toward what she was holding behind her back. Even if that was the case, however, neither Lady Ellie nor Lady Ava had said anything about it.</p>
<p>Indeed, it became apparent to Lili a few moments later that neither the Marchioness nor the Countess was going to say anything until Lili had spoken, and it was for that reason that, a few moments later, she parted her lips. Lili was certain, however, that the words that escaped from her lips a few moments later are not the words that they wanted to hear from her.</p>
<p>“My Lady,” Lili began, “the vice-commander had asked me not to say anything.”</p>
<p>Even as those words were coming out of the lips of Lili, she was already cursing herself, as she knew that by using those words, she had practically admitted that she was keeping a secret. Of course, that might not be so bad as her impression was that both Lady Ellie and Lady Ava had already known that she as keeping something, but by mentioning the name of the vice-commander, then she practically admitted that there was a conspiracy of sorts between herself and Sir Ian.</p>
<p>If there was anything good about that, it was the fact that by impliedly admitting that Sir Ian is part of this conspiracy, she had provided them with assurance that no one had told those who are chasing after them that Lady Ellie is in the farm.</p>
<p>As the nurse had expected, however, a curious expression appeared on the faces of both Lady Ellie and Lady Ava, and that expression that the two of them have on their faces at that moment told Lili what the next question that would escape from the lips of one of them would be.</p>
<p>It turned out that it was the Countess of Madison who got the chance to ask the question, though if it was because she was the faster speaker, or if it was because the Marchioness had decided to allow her, Lili could not be sure.</p>
<p>“Did he say why you should not tell the Mar…us, did he say why you should not tell us anything?” the Countess asked.</p>
<p>Lili found herself staring at the Countess for a few moments even as she remembered the exact words that the vice-commander had used. It was only at that moment that she remembered that the vice-commander had actually said that he should not tell the ‘Marchioness’ anything. Sir Ian had not said anything about not telling Lady Ava. Of course, even if that was the case, it was already useless, because Lili was sure that the Marchioness had also heard all of the words that had escaped from the lips of Lady Ava but a few moments ago.</p>
<p>Rather than actually answer the question of the Countess, however, Lili instead turned her attention toward the direction of the Marchioness because she wanted to see what the expression on her face would be at that moment, and she would have to be honest that the expression that Lady Ellie was wearing at that moment was exactly what she expected her to be wearing.</p>
<p>Of course, because Lili had turned her attention toward the direction of the Marchioness, it was but a matter of course that Lady Ava turn her attention toward that direction as well.</p>
<p>There may be a smile on the face of the Marchioness of Havenstark at that moment, but even someone who had met the Marchioness just a few hours ago would have been able to tell that there was irritation on the part of Lady Ellie as well, and Lili could not help but feel a bit grateful that it would appear that that irritation was not directed toward her, because at that moment, it would appear as if that irritation was directed toward the Countess.</p>
<p>“What is it that the vice-commander thinks I should not be made aware of, Lady Ava?” the Marchioness asked. To Lili, it seemed as if the smile that was on the face of the Marchioness widened at that moment, but of course, with that wide smile that she was wearing, the fact that she was irritated just became even more pronounced than before.</p>
<p>It did not help that the Countess turned her attention toward the direction of Lili a few moments later, and that action made the Marchioness turn her attention as well, and with the two of them focusing their attention upon her, it was not easy for Lili to just take a step back and disappear as she had intended.</p>
<p>“You would tell me, right, Lili?” the Marchioness asked with that smile on her face, and while the first instinct of Lili was to actually meet the expectations that he Marchioness appear to have put upon her shoulder, she was able to stop herself a few moments later, and she turned her gaze toward the direction of Lady Ava, hoping that the Countess would be able to come to her aid in that regard.</p>
<p>Lili only had to look at the expression on the face of the Marchioness once, however, before she realized that she probably should not have expected her to be of any assistance in that regard. Indeed, a few moments later, the Countess of Madison placed a smile on her face, and though no words actually escaped from the lips of Lady Ava, even Lili could tell that at that moment, the Countess was silently advising her to answer the question of the Marchioness.</p>
<p>“Sir Ian…,” Lili began, and she once more fought the urge to curse as she realized that she was once more creating more problems for the vice-commander. Of course, now that she had mentioned his name, there was nothing that she could say that would convince the Marchioness and the Baroness to not involve the vice-commander.</p>
<p>“You do realize, of course, that the vice-commander is answerable to the Marchioness, right?” Lady Ava asked a few moments later, forcing Lili to turn her attention toward the Countess. The intention of the blond nurse was to confirm to the Countess that she understood that, but before Lili could actually say anything, Lady Ava cut her off as the Countess inclined her head so that it was clear that she was indicating the electronic tablet that Lili had been holding behind her back since they had encountered each other in this corridor, “So, tell us what is on that tablet, Lili, please.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Aboard the <em>Bremerton</em>, Personal Yacht of the Duke of Olympia, Support Fleet </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>On orbit around Winnipeg, Stenlar Star System, (Occupied) Kingdom of Crotoa</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Lord Alexander Charles York</strong>
</p>
<p>‘<em>Perhaps I should be the one to go to the Bremerton, instead of the other way around,’</em> Lord Alexander thought at the same time that he unbuttoned the first two buttons of the jacket that he was wearing, revealing the white shirt that he was wearing underneath the jacket. He turned his attention toward his right side even as he wondered if he should remove the jacket all together, but then he shook his head as he let a sigh escape from his lips.</p>
<p>He had been informed that the shuttle carrying his guest had already entered the aft hang of his flagship and that even if she were to request for a tour of the ship – and he doubted that she would have made that request – none would be given as he had not authorized such a tour. All of that meant that she and her escort would be here in less than ten minutes, and he did not think that that would be enough to switch to a more presentable uniform, or, indeed, to fix the room where they would be meeting.</p>
<p>A part of the Duke actually wondered why he decided to meet with her in his personal quarters when he could have just met with her at his office, after all, one has to go through his office in order to get to his personal quarters, but a few seconds after that question entered the forefront of the mind of Lord Alexander, the answer to the question actually came to him. The reason why he had opted to have this meeting in his personal quarters was because he was hoping that by doing so, he could instill not only to his military subordinates that he is serious about his decision to make the Countess of Gray Haven as the Duchess of Olympia.</p>
<p>Naturally, he would actually have to ask permission from the Empress, but the Duke did not think that his grandmother would have refused permission, especially after he had explained to her the excuse that he had come up with. Of course, if he was being honest, the Duke would have to admit that the only reason that he came up with that excuse was to justify keeping the Countess by his side.</p>
<p>In a strange sense, convincing his military subordinates that he would not be deterred from this decision is going to be the easy part, it is convincing the others that would be harder. In that regard, however, he only had to convince his grandmother – technically, she was the only one that she actually has to convince as the military bows to her – of his decision, and in that regard, he was certain that he could convince her.</p>
<p>A sigh escaped from the lips of Lord Alexander as he turned his full attention away from the cabinet in front of him. Executing an almost complete one-hundred-eighty-degree turn from where he stood, he found himself standing in front of the one piece of furniture that is the largest in this room, but then again, it is supposed to be large considering that it is the reason for this room in the first place.</p>
<p>‘<em>I suppose two people could fit on it, if they really squeeze themselves,’</em> he thought as he looked at the bed. Aside from the frame of the bed – which was made with wood – everything about it was white, down to even the sheets of the two pieces of pillows that were placed close to the headboard, but then again, that was to be expected, considering that white is the standard color of the Imperial Navy for beddings.</p>
<p>Aside from the bed, the next largest piece of furniture inside the room would be a wooden desk located near foot of the bed. It was filled not only with books but also with models of every warship class that is part of his command, which meant that there are more than two dozen models on the top part of the cabinet. Indeed, he would have to admit that the sheer number of models is probably the only reason why the cabinet had to be that big, because while he also owns a lot of books, he could have had those shipped to the library aboard the <em>Bremerton.</em></p>
<p><em>‘Come to think of it,’</em> he thought, ‘<em>Perhaps I should have that done.’</em></p>
<p>If Lady Emma is going to be staying aboard the <em>Bremerton</em>, then she would surely appreciate some of the books that he had, but then he shook his head as he realized that she probably would try to take revenge against him by ripping those books, because, technically, he had not prohibited her from doing that.</p>
<p>Aside from those – and the cabinet, of course which would be the third piece of large furniture in the room – there would also be his personal desk upon which rested his personal computer, a small communication transceiver that was connected directly to the bridge and to the staff room, and, for that moment at least, his sidearm, though he probably would not need it, and indeed, the weapon was actually within its leather holster.</p>
<p>Lord Alexander is well aware that the size of his personal quarters had always left those few guests who are actually allowed to see his quarters rather surprised. For a man who commands a fleet of more than five hundred warships, it probably should have been expected that his quarters are far more luxurious than the one that he actually has, yet the Duke never liked having a large room.</p>
<p>As he walked toward the direction of the chair that came as part of his desk – which would be at the other side of the room, because his cabinet was on the starboard side while his desk would be on the port side of the bed – he actually smiled as he silently asked himself if that is another reason for him to have selected this room as the place where he would first meet Lady Emma after he had killed her fiancée and basically proclaimed that he wants her for his own.</p>
<p>If he could appear to be humble in front of her, then perhaps she would be more willing to accept the situation that she was now in, hell, she may probably even grow to love him, but as that thought entered the forefront of the mind of Lord Alexander, he shook his head – and he did so in an almost violent fashion – as he reminded himself that that does not matter. She could hate him with all of her being, but it would not change anything.</p>
<p>Those thoughts were still on the forefront of the mind of Lord Alexander when he was disturbed by the sound coming from the direction of his personal computer. Rather than actually turn his attention toward the direction of the screen right away, however, the General-Admiral instead took a seat in front of the screen, and it was only after he had taken his seat that he actually turned his attention back toward the screen.</p>
<p>As he had expected, when the screen activated, it showed the picture of his Senior Adjutant, though before Rear Admiral Granger could say anything, Lord Alexander cut him off, “I presume that you have arrived?” he said, and even he would have to admit that that was an unfair question, considering that, at that moment, it was obvious that he was standing in front of the entrance to his office, because he was using the camera that Lord Alexander knew was on the door to his office.</p>
<p>“Yes, Admiral,” Rear Admiral Granger replied without missing a beat. Lord Alexander wondered if he had realized that his commanding officer was just playing with him, but then with a start, he realized that he probably did, after all, Rear Admiral Granger had served with him for quite a considerable time, longer than either Vice Admiral Cline or Rear Admiral Ashford.</p>
<p>The thoughts of Lord Alexander were disturbed a few moments later as Rear Admiral Granger added, “The Duchess of Olympia and the Baroness of Land’s End are with me, Sir.”</p>
<p>Lord Alexander nodded at the same time that he unlocked the door to his office. As that meant that the door could now be opened, the image of Rear Admiral Granger disappeared, and he could only presume that the man was now leading Lady Emma and Lady Elizabeth into his office. Sure enough, a few moments later, he could hear the knocking sound on the door into his quarters.</p>
<p>“Come,” Lord Alexander replied even as he turned his seat so that instead of facing toward the screen of his computer, he was now facing toward the entrance into his personal quarters.</p>
<p>It was not Rear Admiral Granger who had opened the door, though of course, that was something that Lord Alexander had expected as well. As Lady Emma entered the room, the first thing that the Duke of Olympia noticed was that she had changed her clothes and was now wearing a white blouse and trousers that actually seemed familiar to him, and a few seconds later, he actually blinked as she realized that what she was wearing was a uniform, specifically, the Number 3 (Special) Dress uniform reserved for members of the Imperial Medical Corps.</p>
<p>A quick check of either of the collars of the blouse confirmed that she was not wearing insignia, and the rest of the uniform appear to be devoid of anything that would have labelled her as a current member of the Corps.</p>
<p>“Your Grace,” she said, and her voice tore the General-Admiral out of her reverie. As he has had his attention focused upon her, there was no need for him to turn his attention toward her when he returned to the present, as he had always had his attention focused upon her in the first place.</p>
<p>“My Lady,” Lord Alexander replied with a smile even as he stood from where he was seated, and as he politely inclined his head toward her direction, he asked, “I take it that my cousin has lent you the uniform?”</p>
<p>The expression on her face was the only thing that he needed to see in order to confirm that she was seriously considering if she should answer the question or not. In the end, she realized that she actually had no choice in the matter, which was why she nodded, “Yes,” she said.</p>
<p>He turned his attention toward his cousin at that moment with a raised eyebrow, but unlike an ordinary officer – or perhaps even admiral – of the fleet, Lady Elizabeth is not the kind that could be cowered by that kind of glare from Lord Alexander. It helped that they are cousins, and it also helped that prior to her leaving the Medical Corps, she actually achieved a rank equivalent to that of a captain, and had to contend with glares from other admirals who failed to browbeat her into releasing them from her care as the former Chief Medical Officer of the Fleet.</p>
<p>“My apologies, Lady Elizabeth, Rear Admiral Granger,” Lord Alexander said a few moments later. He knew that the two of them would catch the fact that he had switched to using a more formal tone with them, but before either of them – indeed, the Baroness had already parted her lips – could say anything, he cut them off, “but I would like to have a private conversation with the Countess, excuse me,” he added rather quickly as he glanced toward Lady Emma before he added, “I meant that Duchess.”</p>
<p>The glare that appeared on the face of Lady Emma at that moment was as he had expected, but though it was obvious from that glare alone that she was rather irritated, she still did not say anything, indeed, it was actually Lady Elizabeth who looked as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, whatever it was that his cousin had wanted to say would be something that Rear Admiral Granger would have to deal with, as a few moments later, Lord Alexander watched as his Senior Adjutant discreetly pulled Lady Elizabeth out of the room before bowing toward Lady Emma and saluting Lord Alexander.</p>
<p>He did not actually wait for his cousin and Rear Admiral Granger to actually close the door behind them before he turned his attention toward Lady Emma, and when he did fix his gaze upon her, he was not the least bit surprised to see that she had also turned her own attention toward him, though even if that was the case, for close to a minute, the two of them just stared at each other, obviously with both of them waiting for the other to be the one to break the silence.</p>
<p>In this instance, it was the Duke of Olympia who broke the silence as a few moments later, he asked, “Would you take a seat, at least?”</p>
<p>She turned her attention toward the bed, and from the way that her eyes had widened, Lord Alexander would have laid odds that it was only at that exact moment that she realized that they are actually in his personal quarters. A small smile appeared on the face of the Duke of Olympia a few moments later when he saw how blood had rushed up to the face of the would-be Duchess, ad he could not help but wonder if this is actually the first time that she had entered the bedroom of a man who is not related to her.</p>
<p>The fact that she was embarrassed did not seem to prevent her from replying to his offer in a rather hostile manner, however, as a few moments later, she returned her attention toward his face. The remnants of the blush that she had allowed to color her face were still there, but there was not race of embarrassment – and only hostility – when she next spoke, “Is this where you plan to take me, my Lord?” she asked.</p>
<p>He actually laughed in response, and as he had not bothered to resume his seat – as she had not taken his seat, it would be discourteous to her, but then again, he wondered if there was a need to follow those unwritten rules of manners and courtesy given the situation that the two of them had found themselves in – his next course of action was to take two steps toward her.</p>
<p>Lord Alexander would have to admit that he was hoping for any kind of reaction from her, and he did get a reaction, only it was not one that was included in the set that he would have labelled as acceptable, given that the only reaction on the part of the would-be Duchess would be to raise one of her eyebrows at him even as he moved closer toward where she stood.</p>
<p>That, in turn, prompted the Duke to stop moving and with a shrug, he suddenly said, “There are regulations against fraternizations aboard any commissioned warship of the Imperial Terra Grand Fleet,” he smiled before adding, “I wrote those regulations myself.”</p>
<p>She stared at him for close to fifteen seconds before she suddenly asked, “Then why meet me here?”</p>
<p>This time, it was his turn to stare at him, and a few moments later, he smiled at her. He could tell that she was irritated by the reaction that he had given, and indeed, she parted her lips a few moments later, though whatever it was that she had wanted to say was cut-off at that moment with Lord Alexander suddenly asking, “Are you sure that that is the question that you want to ask me?”</p>
<p>He watched as she turned her complete attention toward her, that expression of irritation that she was wearing becoming more pronounced, but even if that was the case, a few moments later, a sigh escaped from the lips of the would-be Duchess of Olympia before she asked, “Would you really carry out that threat?”</p>
<p>If he was being honest, Lord Alexander would have to admit that there was no need for her to remind him what she was talking about, but because he did not actually answer right away, it was to be expected that she would believe that the reason for that was because he was thinking of which threat that he had given that she was talking about, and it was for that reason that, a few moments later, Lady Emma added, “to kill everyone on the planet?”</p>
<p>The smile that appeared on his face in response was rather disturbing, and that was something that Lord Alexander would easily admit to, and what disturbed him even more was his sure knowledge that he really would have given the order if she were to do something that he would classify as incredibly stupid. He turned his attention away from her slightly, glancing toward the direction of the screen of his personal computer, though at that moment, it was not actually the dark screen that he was looking at, rather, he was looking – through his memory – the letter that he had received prior to the start of the Great Crusade from the Admiralty.</p>
<p>He returned his attention back toward the beautiful woman in front of him even as he tried to place the thought of <em>HMS Postman</em> – with its single cannon capable of wiping out the population of an entire planet – out of his mind, and he would readily admit that that was a rather easy feat considering who was in front of him at that moment.</p>
<p>Of course, the General-Admiral was quick to remind himself that she had asked her a question, which was why a few moments later, he answered the question, “Yes,” he replied rather easily.</p>
<p>He could tell that she was disturbed by the casual way that he had answered the question, and a few moments later, he could see her staring at him with an expression on her face that clearly told him that she was trying to decide if he had answered her question seriously. The General-Admiral decided to stop her from thinking about that a few moments later when he suddenly said, “We have recently developed a weapon known as a neutron scrambler which, in theory, could wipe out every living thing on the surface of the planet except for the simplest forms of life, and we are looking to test it.”</p>
<p>Lord Alexander told himself that what he had just said was not exactly true, after all, the weapon has not only been completed, there are actually four of them, with each of the four General-Admirals granted the authority to actually directly petition the Empress – who is the only one who could authorize the use of the weapon – for permission to use the weapon.</p>
<p>“Why me?” Lady Emma suddenly asked, and the question that escaped from the lips of the Countess forced the Duke to return to the present at the same time that he turned his attention toward her. There was no need for him to ask her to repeat the question because he could actually remember the same, though even if that was the case, before he could actually answer the question, she cut him off as she said, “I am sure that there are others who are more beautiful than me.”</p>
<p>He smiled at her, “The Countess of Madison?” he asked, and as he had expected, she nodded, but before she could say anything, the Duke added, “or the Marchioness of Havenstark?”</p>
<p>The expression on the face of Lady Emma changed at that moment, but even that was something that the Duke had expected, after all, with those simple words that had escaped from her lips, he had just threatened the Marchioness of Havenstark, and he was sure that Lady Emma would do everything in her power to protect her friend, just as she would do everything in her power to protect the people of the Kingdom of Crotoa.</p>
<p>“Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, my Lady,” Lord Alexander said, and he walked back toward his seat. A few moments later, he was actually able to take his seat, but since Lady Emma had not actually said anything in response to the words that have escaped from his lips, the Duke of Olympia added a few moments later, “and in the eyes of this particular beholder, you are one of the most beautiful women that he had ever met.”</p>
<p>Once more, silence descended inside the room, though this time, the General-Admiral would have to admit that it was a rather uncomfortable one, which was why a few moments later, he parted his lips with the intention of saying something, though before he could do so, she cut him off, “And is that the only reason, Your Grace?” she asked.</p>
<p>Lord Alexander actually smiled as he shook his head, “No,” he replied rather easily, “there is no way that you would survive as the Duchess of Olympia, let alone as the Duchess of four more Duchies, if you are only going to be beautiful, no,” he shook his head for emphasis, “I want you because you are not only beautiful, you are also highly intelligent and driven,” the smile on his face disappeared, replaced instead by a serious expression as he regarded her, “Even now, you are determined to play along with my game, no matter how distasteful it is for you, because you know that it is the only way that you can spare the people of Serendipity.”</p>
<p>The fact that she did not say anything in response to the words that have escaped from his lips at that moment was the only proof that the General-Admiral needed in order to prove his case.</p>
<p>This time, however, the silence that had descended between the two of them did not last long, as a few moments after he had finished speaking, Lady Emma suddenly fixed her gaze toward him, and he could see the serious expression that she was wearing on her face at that moment. Whatever it was that she was about to say, it was something that she felt strongly about, but if he was being honest, Lord Alexander would have to admit that he already knew what it is that she wanted to say.</p>
<p>“I hate you,” she said as she stared at him, her face completely serious and the tone that she had used so deliberate that it would be hard for anyone to dismiss those words that have escaped from her lips as a passing feeling.</p>
<p>Lord Alexander was not sure if he surprised her when, a few moments later, he gave her a nod before he replied, “It would be more surprising for me if you do not.”</p>
<p>She stared back at him, and once more, silence descended inside the room. After a few moments, however, she nodded, though before the General-Admiral could say anything, Lady Emma suddenly said, “but I would do anything and everything to protect the people of the Kingdom of Crotoa,” and after she had said that, he watched as both of her hands moved to the top button of the white blouse that she was wearing.</p>
<p>He watched as she unbuttoned the first button, followed by the second and the third in quick succession before he actually realized what she was about to do. It would appear that the fact that he shot up onto his feet at that moment was more than enough to stop Lady Emma from continuing with what she was doing, though the Duke did speak a few moments later, “I told you, there are strict regulations against fraternization aboard commissioned warships of the Imperial Grand Fleet.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Reed Farm, Outside Madison City</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Serendipity, Stenlar Star System, (Occupied) Kingdom of Crotoa</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Lady Elizabeth ‘Ava’ Pence</strong>
</p>
<p>If she was being honest, Lady Ava would have to admit that there has to be a reason why the vice-commander had requested this young woman in front of her – and Lady Ellie, of course – to not tell the Marchioness anything about whatever it was that she had spoken about with the vice-commander, yet at the same time, the Countess of Madison would have to admit that she could not think of anything at that moment that would have required such a rather drastic response from the vice-commander.</p>
<p>Lady Ava mentally shook her head a few moments later as she returned to the present, and as she did so, she focused her attention upon the young woman in front of her even as she handed over the electronic tablet that she had been keeping behind her back since she had run into the Countess and the Marchioness.</p>
<p>As Lili did so, the Countess of Madison found herself thinking about the pieces of information that she was able to gleam about Lili, with most of the information that was actually available to her coming from Lili herself, which meant that she had not actually refused to tell either herself or the Marchioness anything. Indeed, if she was to be honest about it, Lady Ava would have to admit that she was actually more forthcoming about her background, and that alone was more than enough to remove Lili from the list of potential traitors at the back of the mind of the Countess.</p>
<p>The Countess, of course, rated this nurse and daughter of a horse farmer higher than she rated the two remaining ladies-in-waiting of Lady Ellie, both of whom had excused themselves to the bedroom that they had been given – it was just by luck that Paul Reed was actually planning on adding a small bed-and-breakfast in his property – without even offering to help either Lady Ellie or Lady Ava in looking into their adversaries, not that they would have been able to provide much though, because even with her research skills, Lady Ava had run into a blank.</p>
<p>She suspected that more information would become available as the days pass, though for the time being, she would have to be content with what little she and Lady Ellie – with the assistance of Lili – had been able to gleam.</p>
<p>As that thought passed through the forefront of the mind of the Countess of Madison, she once more returned to the present, and she did so just in time to see Lili hand over the electronic tablet to Lady Ellie who took it with a smile on her face, but without actually saying anything. Lady Ava watched as the Marchioness opened the screen, but because of the way that the touch-screen of the tablet was oriented, it was impossible for Lady Ava to actually see what the image that the Marchioness looked at was.</p>
<p>What the Countess of Madison could see, however, would be the reaction of the Marchioness, because she turned her attention toward the face of Lady Ellie the moment that she realized that she could not actually see what the image that the Marchioness would be looking at was.</p>
<p>It was rather easy for her to see the reaction of the Marchioness as well, after all, Lady Ellie only looked at the image on the tablet once before her eyes widened, and even before either Lady Ava or Lili could do anything, she suddenly dropped onto her knees.</p>
<p>“My Lady,” Lili suddenly said even as she moved forward to support her. For her part, Lady Ava was just a moment or two behind the blond nurse, though unlike Lili, the Countess also turned half of her attention toward the direction of the tablet that Lady Ellie had been holding.</p>
<p>“Are you alright, my Lady?” Lili asked with a more determined and no-nonsense tone, a tone that the Countess instantly realized would be the same tone that she would be using had she been speaking with a patient in the hospital where she worked. Of course, that prompted the Countess to turn her attention toward their direction, and within a millisecond or two, the full attention of Lady Ava had turned to the Marchioness.</p>
<p>Indeed, the Countess had turned her attention just in time to see the Marchioness give Lili a nod, most likely in response to the question that she had just asked. The Marchioness spoke a few moments later, but rather than direct those words toward Lili, she instead directed her words toward Lady Ava.</p>
<p>“The picture,” she said, and that promoted the Countess to turn her attention – and this time, she did so with her complete attention – toward the direction of the screen of the tablet. This time, it was the turn of the Countess to blink as she actually recognized the place on the photo, and she only needed a few moments more in order to realize what the people in the picture were doing.</p>
<p>“The grounds of the castle,” Lady Ava said a few moments later. She turned her attention toward the Marchioness as she said, “it seems that they are transporting coffins, and with those flags and swords, I would wager that they are taking the bodies of our dead.”</p>
<p>Lady Ellie nodded, “Yes,” she said, “but I recognized the sword that is on the nearest coffin.”</p>
<p>Those words prompted that Countess of Madison to return her attention toward the picture at the same time that she fought the urge to ask the Marchioness how she could have recognized the sword. Of course, at the same time that that question came to the forefront of the mind of the Countess of Madison, a voice behind her head reminded her that the Marchioness had actually practically grown up in the household of the Duke of Moresby, one of the few Houses in the Kingdom where knights could be trained, and during the time that she was there, the household was training a crop of knights, the majority of whom would later become members of the Order that was sent to protect her for this ‘vacation’.</p>
<p>Indeed, the Countess reminded herself a few moments later, it was precisely because the Palace had tried so hard to portray this visit of the Marchioness as a vacation of sorts that they had gotten the knights who had grown up with Lady Ellie to act as her bodyguards.</p>
<p>Thus, it was likely that the Marchioness really did recognize the sword, even if from where she stood, Lady Ellie would have to admit that the sheathed blade looked no different from others that were on the surface of the other coffins in the picture, and from the swords that she had seen before.</p>
<p>“My Lady…,” Lady Ava began. Not even she was sure what question it was that she was going to ask the Marchioness at that point, but it turned out that there was no need for him to ask the question anymore, as before she could even finish asking the question, the Marchioness had already stopped her from doing so.</p>
<p>“It belonged to Sir Leo,” Lady Ellie said, and that prompted the Countess to part her lips as she was now about to ask her how she could be so sure about that, but again, before Lady Ava could say anything, she was cut off by the Marchioness of Havenstark as she said, “I remember the sword well because Lady Emma held it during the knighting ceremony.”</p>
<p>Lady Ava blinked at that moment even as she told herself that she really should have seen that, just as she should have realized that it was not actually the man who owned that sword – and whose mortal remains now remain under the coffin upon which his sword was resting – that the Marchioness was worried about, no, at that moment, it was the Countess of Gray Haven that Lady Ellie is worried about.</p>
<p>“My Lady,” Lady Ava began, but then she paused as she realized that even to her, what she was about to say may soon foolish, but at the same time, it was actually the only thing that she could think of saying, and because she did not want the Marchioness to lose herself in a reverie that she just knew would not be good for her, the Countess of Madison had no choice but to speak, “the picture does not have any of the Countess of Gray Haven.”</p>
<p>Even as those words passed through the lips of Lady Ava, she could not help but wonder what the true meaning of that would be. That Sir Leo is dead is already a given, for while they may not see his actual body at that moment, there was no question that it was his body that was inside that coffin because it was his sword that was resting on the surface of the same, but that does not answer the question of what happened to Lady Emma.</p>
<p>It was possible that the Countess had also been killed during the invasion of the castle, but at that moment, that was not a possibility that Lady Ava was willing to consider, if only to spare the Marchioness from having to think about that. In all the months that Lady Ava had known the Marchioness, she had never seen Lady Ellie break down as much as she seemed to have broken down at that moment, but then again, given who they are talking about, that was to be expected.</p>
<p>“It really would be more of an assurance if I could actually see her in the picture, you know,” the Marchioness said a few moments later, once more prompting Lady Ava to return her attention toward the direction of the Marchioness, but before Lady Ava could say anything, Lady Ellie continued, “Do you really think she would have just stood there and watched as her fiancée was killed in front of her?”</p>
<p>Lady Ava was shaking her head even before she realized what she was doing, and though she realized that she was shaking her head a few moments later, she actually did nothing to stop herself, because if she was being honest, she would have to admit that she could certainly understand where the Marchioness was coming from.</p>
<p>She may not be as close to Lady Emma as Lady Ellie is, but even Lady Ava could tell that the Countess would not have taken that lying down. More likely than not, the Countess of Gray Haven would have taken the sword of her slain fiancée and would have used that in order to try to avenge Sir Leo, an action that would most likely have caused her harm as well.</p>
<p>“They know who she is,” Lady Ava suddenly said. She watched as Lady Ellie blinked before she turned her attention toward the Countess, though this time, it was the turn of Lady Ava to stop the Marchioness from saying whatever it was that she wanted to say as she quickly added, “and they know who you are, my Lady, so they would no doubt try to use her to get to you.”</p>
<p>The smile that appeared on the face of Lady Ellie at that moment was an ironic one, yet Lady Ava could tell that there was an edge to it, and she did not really have to wait long in order to find out where that came from as a few moments later, the Marchioness suddenly asked, “Do you think she would have agreed to that.”</p>
<p>Lady Ava did not even hesitate to shake her head, “No,” she replied easily, and again, before the Marchioness could say anything, the Countess quickly added, “but they would not move against her because of that, my Lady.”</p>
<p>Silence descended between the three of them for a few moments, with the Countess of Madison silently telling herself that she is prepared to add more things in order to convince the Marchioness that her old friend is still alive and most likely in the custody of the invaders, though as that thought entered the forefront of her mind, even the Countess would have to admit that she was not sure if that was actually a good thing.</p>
<p>“If I surrender…?” Lady Ellie began.</p>
<p>Lady Ava put her put down – quite literally – before she said, “Then it would be the two of you who would be held captive, and as I said before, I do not think the Countess of Gray Haven would have liked that,” she paused before she fixed Lady Ellie a serious expression and she asked, “What do you think would she have wanted you to do, my Lady?”</p>
<p>It was an unfair question, and both of them – even Lili – knew that. It was for that reason that, a few moments later, Lady Ava was able to see a sigh escape from the lips of the Marchioness, “What would they do to her if she refused to cooperate?”</p>
<p>Lady Ava turned her attention away from the Marchioness at that moment, because it was rather difficult for her to answer that question. Of course, when she returned her gaze back toward the direction of Lady Ellie a few moments later, the Countess could see the expression on the face of the Marchioness, and that expression was the only thing that Lady Ava needed to see in order for the Countess to realize that Lady Ellie also understood what would happen to Lady Emma if she really was in the hands of their adversaries.</p>
<p>Still, Lady Ava tried to assuage the Marchioness, “Chivalry started from Terra, my Lady, and so, they also follow it,” even she would have to admit that there was a bit more force in her voice when she added, “they would surely treat her well.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Rear Admiral Granger delivers a message to his commanding officer.<br/>Sir Ian delivers his own message to the Marchioness, only to be informed that their enemies may have power over the life and death of an entire planet.<br/>Lady Elizabeth warns Lady Emma as to the relationship of the Duke of Olympia and his cousin, the Prince of Redmure.<br/>Lady Ellie receives further news, though whether it was good news or bad news remains to be seen.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>ELEVEN</strong>
</p>
<p>December 27, 1950 AE</p>
<p>Officer of the Minister for War, West Castle, Crystal Palace Complex</p>
<p>Principality of Avalon, Terra, Sol Star System</p>
<p>Lord High Admiral Duke Sir Alexander Charles York, OTE</p>
<p>General-Admiral, Imperial Terra Grand Fleet</p>
<p><em>HMS Iron Duke</em>, Supreme Fleet Flagship, Imperial Terra Grand Fleet</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sir,</p>
<p>The Minister for War desires me to inform you that, per the latest instructions from the Crystal Palace, you have been granted secondary control over <em>HMS Restless Postman</em>, and that she would be assigned to your fleet as soon as possible. Please expect a minimum of two weeks for her arrival from the fleet anchorage in the Suth Star System as orders for their departure had been issued just two hours prior to this order being sent to your person.</p>
<p>Please be advised that though you have control over <em>HMS Restless Postman</em> as the General-Admiral, Imperial Terra Grand Fleet, the actual deployment of the weapon aboard her is still subject to the approval of the Golden Throne, and as such, you have to ask permission from the Golden Throne should you desire to employ the weapon. <em>HMS Restless Postman, </em>Sir, is equipped with a weapon known as the neutron sweeper, but for the exact effects of such weapons, may I advise you to please see the attached classified report.</p>
<p>May I also remind you to destroy the report in question as soon as you have finished reading and understanding the same.</p>
<p>As you may gleam from the classified report attached, the main weapon, actually, the only weapon, of <em>HMS Restless Postman</em> has not been completely tested in the sense that we still do not understand what it actually does, which is why she would be accompanied by a team of scientist who would be on hand to observe the effects of the weapon. These scientists, unfortunately, are more interested in seeing the effect of the weapon and so, may prove to be a source of irritation if they would try to convince you to use the weapon.</p>
<p>The Minister for War understands that requesting for permission to use the weapon may hamper your tactical and strategic plans for the coming campaign, but the Minister wishes to inform you that the weapon carried by this ship is not intended for use in fleet actions, rather, it is a weapon of last resort designed to be employed against planets, as I am sure you will find out for yourself as soon as you have finished reading the report attached hereto.</p>
<p>Depending on the distance that you may find yourself away from the capital, such requests for permission may take a minimum of a few months in order to acquire under normal circumstances, which is why the ship that is being sent to you is equipped with a hyper-space communication node, designed to take advantage of our gateway technology in order to send and receive message as soon as possible.</p>
<p>As you prepare to embark upon our Great Crusade toward which you and our ancestors had worked so hard to fulfil, the Minister of War desires to express his commendations for your continuing hard work to make our dreams a reality, as well as to wish you the best of luck in all future endeavors.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Very Sincerely Your Most Respectful Servant</p>
<p>Lloyd Andrew Abrams, OTE</p>
<p>First Secretary for the Ministry of War, Holy Empire of Terra</p>
<p>
  <strong>CLASSIFIED</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>-XXX- The following report has been classified with the highest security clearance of the Holy Empire of Terra. Only those who hold Classified Clearance Level 11 may view the following report. All of those who do not hold Classified Clearance Level 11 are hereby ordered to cease and desist from perusing this document, upon pain of punishment for up to and including high treason –XXX-</strong>
</p>
<p>Report Subject, Neutron Sweeper, Dr. Pieter Seyfried reporting</p>
<p>The test of the weapon known as the Neutron Sweeper had proven successful. During our latest test run, we have fired the weapon at an energy rating equivalent to 2% of its normal output at a test facility constructed on one of the planetoid-size rocks orbiting the Suth Star System, with test subjects located on the poles of the rock as well as in scattered locations between the two poles. Most test subjects are also located in underground caverns, including two groups – Group P2 and Group X4 – that are located at a subterranean cavern almost ten kilometers down from the surface of the planetoid.</p>
<p>
  <span class="u">Log</span>
</p>
<p>14.00 Hours (H+0): Local time of the day in question, and at an altitude of two hundred fifty kilometers over the south pole of the planetoid, the weapon was fired, unleashing a beam of pure energy that rapidly expanded until it was more than thirty kilometer across before making contract with the surface of the planetoid.</p>
<p>14.30 Hours (H+30): The beam of energy fired by the weapon had formed a small dome estimated to be two hundred kilometers across and about fifty kilometers high, with the dome rapidly expanding over the course of the next twenty-four hours.</p>
<p>16.25 Hours (H+2.25): Real-time cameras located in subterranean cavern designed A-5 shows test subject agitated, with at least two dozen test subjects recorded to be attacking each other over the course of the next fifteen minutes before the area was covered by the dome at approximately 16.40 Hours, during which time, all test subjects ceased function. It must be noted that A-5 is located two kilometers below hard-rock and connected to the surface through a single elevator shaft, and about fifty kilometers away from initial point of impact.</p>
<p>17.00 Hours (H+3.00): Deployment of drones within site A-5 shows that site has been thoroughly cleaned with not even a trace of the bodies of the test subjects that have ceased to function. Air filtration checks confirm higher-than-average concentration of lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids in the air.</p>
<p>18.00 Hours (H+4.00): Site H-5, located two hundred kilometers from initial point of impact and twenty kilometers above ground, is hit by the wave. Real-time cameras confirm almost identical event as in A-5 with test subjects recorded attacking each other prior to wave hitting also fifteen minutes later. Deployment of drones on site at 18.20 (H+4.20) confirms no trace of test subjects after they had ceased function, with equally high concentration of lipids, proteins, and nucleic acid in test site.</p>
<p>20.00 Hours (H+6.00): Site P-2, located ten kilometers underground and approximately one thousand kilometers from initial point of impact, is hit by the wave. No recorded instances of test subjects attacking each other, with all test subjects ceasing functions by 20.15 (H+6.15). Deployment of drones confirm that all test-subjects gone, with high concentrations of lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids detected. Also detected concentration of both bacteria and archaea, but no traces of true eukaryotes.</p>
<p>24.00 Hours (H+10.00): Half of planetoid now covered by dome. All test sites still under remote camera surveillance, but half – all of those under the dome – have lost all test subjects. Half of test subject groups exhibited aggressive tendencies toward each other fifteen minutes prior to wave hitting their location, half did not exhibit such tendencies. Follow-up check on all sites fifteen minutes after the site had been hit confirms no trace of any test subject, but with high concentration of bacteria and archaea (no eukaryotes) in the sites. Lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids also detected but in steadily declining concentrations, seemingly in inverse proportion to concentration of bacteria and archaea.</p>
<p> 02.00 Hours (H+12.00): Woken up from sleep to be informed by excited assistants that drones have detected concentration of eukaryotes – and others that have already been recorded before – from one test site located north of the planetoid equator. No sign, however, of bodies of test subject. Going back to bed after writing this log.</p>
<p>08.00 Hours (H+16.00): Woke up to be informed that dome now covers eighty percent of the planetoid surface. All but four test-sites have been hit, with all test subject ceasing function fifteen minutes after being hit. Half of test subject still exhibited aggressive behavior toward each other, while half did not. All test sites north of the equator reports presence of eukaryotes in the test sites.</p>
<p>12.00 Hours (H+22.00): Final test site hit by wave. No aggressive behavior by test subjects in site. All test subjects cease function fifteen minutes (H+22.15) after being hit by wave, with test subject bodies disappearing before deployment of drones to check. Presence of very simple eukaryotes in the rest site confirmed.</p>
<p>14.00 Hours (H+24.00; D+2): Dome covers entire planetoid. All test sites still under remote observation, but with no unexpected occurrences in any test sites.</p>
<p>(D+4): Shuttle flight to surface of planetoid confirms presence of small patches of grass that was not present until that morning. Unsubstantiated theory is that planetoid plant-life is recovering from the sweeper, but cannot confirm as no drones had checked the effect of the weapon outside the test sites.</p>
<p>
  <span class="u">Conclusions and recommendations</span>
</p>
<p>It is clear that the neutron sweeper works, though it would still take time to fully explain how. What is clear, however, is that the theory works, with every biological thing under the dome more complex than a simple eukaryote dissolving upon contact with the sweeper.</p>
<p>The unusually high concentration of nucleic acid, lipids, and proteins at the test sites may be the result of the bodies of the test subject dissolving as it must be remembered that these are the building blocks of life, and it is possible that the sweeper had affected the body in such a way that it reverted back to its building blocks.</p>
<p>In future tests, it is recommended that some test subjects be placed in small rooms with cameras so that we can see this actually happening.</p>
<p>As to the aggressive tendencies demonstrated by some test subjects, we can only theorize that it may have something to do with their background, as half of the test subjects for these tests are violent prisoners, though there is no seen correlation as aggressive tendencies were displayed even by non-prisoners, and some prisoners did not display such tendencies. It is also possible that it may have something to do with the location of the test site, but again, there is no evidence to suggest the same as of the time being.</p>
<p>In conclusion, it is recommended that the neutron sweeper be deployed to ab operational unit as soon as possible, or at least, for more tests to be conducted.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Aboard the <em>Bremerton</em>, Personal Yacht of the Duke of Olympia, Support Fleet </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>On orbit around Winnipeg, Stenlar Star System, (Occupied) Kingdom of Crotoa</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Rear Admiral Richard Granger</strong>
</p>
<p>A soft sigh escaped from his lips even as he found himself staring at the door in front of him. Thoughts run through his mind even as he tightened his grip on the brown envelope that he had pinned between his body and his left arm – because he needed his right hand later – even as he made sure that he was wearing his uniform properly, though with a quick shake of his head and a small mental smile, he told himself that he probably should not have bothered because the man that he was about to meet with would not have bothered telling him to fix his uniform.</p>
<p>Of course, that would be until he would hand over the envelope that he had brought with him, and as that thought entered the forefront of Rear Admiral Granger, he actually shook his head as he told himself that not even he could actually tell what the reaction of his commanding officer would be to the instructions that are written on the letter that he had brought with him, a letter containing instructions that were sent to the Grand Fleet directly from the capital, though because it was marked for the eyes of the commander only – and that actually meant that the members of the staff could see it – it was sent directly to the flagship.</p>
<p>Which, in turn, meant that it had to be relayed aboard the <em>Bremerton</em> as that was where the General-Admiral, Imperial Terra Grand Fleet was when the message was received.</p>
<p>As he is a member of the staff of the General-Admiral, Rear Admiral Granger had actually read the contents of the letter, and as his thoughts turned back to the instructions on the letter, it was not a sigh that escaped from his lips, rather, it was an expression that one would probably have been correct in labelling as a sound of anger, albeit it was not loud enough that it could be heard by people around him, if there were people around him.</p>
<p>To the Senior Adjutant, General-Admiral, Imperial Terra Grand Fleet, the instructions written on the letter were a form of someone trying to steal credit from his commanding officer and old friend, and he would readily admit that he would not have hesitated to say as much to his commanding officer – indeed, the Senior Adjutant would have to admit that he was actually hoping that the General-Admiral would give him the chance to do so – but at the same time, he reminded himself that the letter supposedly came from the Crystal Palace itself, even if it was denominated as having been sent by the Chief Cabinet Secretary, and that, presumably, meant that the instructions on the letter had been vetted by the Empress, or quite possibly, it was sent by the Empress, but through an intermediary.</p>
<p>Rear Admiral Granger shook his head a few moments later, mostly to force himself to return to the present, and after he was done with that, he turned his complete attention back toward the door in front of him. He brought his right hand up, forming a fist, before using that to knock on the door, because while he could have just pressed the button on the side of the door that would have activated the buzzer that was attached to the door, he preferred to knock so that at least one of the persons inside the room would have a clue as to who was asking for permission to enter.</p>
<p>After all, the permission to knock on the door was a privilege given by the General-Admiral only to those who are members of his staff.</p>
<p>The response that came from the room at the other side of the portal was the voice of his commanding officer, and in response to that, Rear Admiral Granger opened the door in front of him, this time using the actual button to open the door because try as he might, he would not have been able to open the door with his strength.</p>
<p>As the door opened, the Senior Adjutant found himself inside a rather spacious and tastefully decorated room, complete with a dark blue carpet and exquisite looking wood panels on the walls, except for a portion that had a floor-to-ceiling window that showed space outside the ship that they were on.</p>
<p>It was directly in front of that window that the largest fixture in the room was placed, and it was toward that direction that the Senior Adjutant turned his attention next, specifically, he turned his attention toward one of the person who was seated on one of the shorter edge of the dining table that could sit fifteen people – with seven on each side.</p>
<p>He would have to admit that he was not surprised when he saw his commanding officer seated at the head of the table – after all, that was the reason that he turned his attention toward the direction in the first place – but he would also have to admit that he was surprised when he saw the Countess of Gray Haven seated near the head of the table, specifically, she occupied the seat that was to the immediate right hand side of the seat where the Duke was seated.</p>
<p>It took the Rear Admiral just a few moments, however, to remind himself that, of course, the Countess of Gray Haven would be seated where she was seated because that seat was traditionally reserved for the spouse of the person who was seated at the head of the table, and as that thought entered the forefront of his mind, Rear Admiral Granger reminded himself that referring to Lady Emma as the Countess of Gray Haven is no longer appropriate, after all, the Duke of Olympia had made it clear to everyone that she would be Duchess of Olympia, and only the approval of the Empress was required.</p>
<p>If he was being honest, Rear Admiral Granger would have to admit that he cannot see any scenario where the Empress would refuse her eldest grandson, but at the same time, he would have to admit that he can understand why the Empress would hesitate, after all, it was one thing to name her as a concubine – or even consort – but to name an effective foreigner as the Duchess of Olympia would certainly not be applauded by the more conservative factions in the capital, especially given who Lord Alexander is, but at the same time, Rear Admiral Granger knew just how determined his commander could be.</p>
<p>Turning his attention back toward the direction of Lord Alexander, he could see that the General-Admiral was looking directly back at him, and that prompted Rear Admiral Granger to give him a salute – and that was actually the reason why he made sure that his right hand was free – even as he noted that Lord Alexander was wearing the exact same uniform that Rear Admiral Granger was wearing – well, not identically, as Lord Alexander had two diamonds on the right collar of his shirt while Rear Admiral Granger had two triangles.</p>
<p>The General-Admiral did not return the salute, though it did not mean that he did not acknowledge it. The smile that appeared on his face a few moments later, however, was the only thing that the Chief Adjutant needed to see in order to be sure that his commanding officer was very amused though before he could try to figure out for himself what it is that General-Admiral was so amused about, he inclined his head toward his right hand side, indicating Lady Emma, and that prompted Rear Admiral Granger to turn her attention toward the direction of the designated Duchess of Olympia, at the same time that he lowered the salute.</p>
<p>If he was being honest, Rear Admiral Granger would have to admit that he cannot see what it is about her that made Lord Alexander want her. She certainly is beautiful, and from the few conversations that he has had with her during the past two days since she had arrived, the Rear Admiral can tell that she is also highly intelligent, but those are qualities that could be found aplenty in the capital of the Holy Empire, with those women in the capital having the additional qualification of coming from families of proven loyalty to the Holy Empire.</p>
<p> In addition, during the funeral ceremony for those who had been killed during the invasion, she had openly shed tears as the coffins were gently released to space on trajectories that would see them travel toward the direction of the star at the center of the system. That, in itself, would not have been unusual, but the fact is that those coffins contained the remains of the local defense forces, though now that he has had time to think about it, Rear Admiral Granger realized that he should have expected it, after all, she is from this place.</p>
<p>Of course, that served only to increase the trepidation that he felt for the designated Duchess of Olympia.</p>
<p>It was only at that moment that the Senior Adjutant realized that there was actually someone else who was seated on the table, and if he could, he would have kicked himself in the balls there and then as he realized that the only other person who was seated on the table – to the side of Lady Emma – was the one person that he probably should have looked for first when he entered the room, at least, in more personal terms.</p>
<p>When he turned his attention toward Lady Elizabeth, Baroness of Land’s End a few moments later, however, she returned the gaze that he was giving her with a neutral expression which, if he was being honest, confused him even more. It was not the first time that he had received that kind of look from her – and indeed, even during the few times that they could spend the night together in the same room, she would sometimes have that expression – but at that moment, he could honestly say that he wanted to decipher what the meaning of the expression on the face of Lady Elizabeth was.</p>
<p>He never got that chance, of course, because Lord Alexander made him turn his full attention away from his lover and back toward his commanding officer, “I could have sworn that I still have time,” Lord Alexander said a few moments later even as he made a show of turning his attention toward the watch that he was wearing on his left wrist.</p>
<p>Rear Admiral Granger had no doubt that the General-Admiral would find that he was correct in that assessment. He still did have time, but at the same time, the reason for him interrupting this breakfast had nothing to do with him reminding his commander of his schedule and more to do with the letter that was on the envelope that he carried with him.</p>
<p>“My apologies, sir,” Rear Admiral Granger said even as he removed the envelope from its place between his body and his left arm. He then started to walk toward the direction of the General-Admiral, though he knew that he already understood that the reason for his senior adjutant interrupting his breakfast was because of the contents of the envelope.</p>
<p>Lord Alexander took the envelope without saying anything, and indeed, he did not even turn his attention away from Rear Admiral Granger as he opened the same to retrieve the paper within the envelope. There was silence inside the room as the Duke read the instructions, and Rear Admiral Granger actually found himself wondering how the General-Admiral would react.</p>
<p>Whatever else the case may be, however, Rear Admiral Granger told himself that he probably would not react violently, considering that there are two ladies who are in the room with them at that moment.</p>
<p>“I see,” those two words that escaped from the lips of Lord Alexander forced Rear Admiral Granger out of the reverie that he had not even realized he had fallen into, and as he returned to the present, he actually mentally prepared himself for whatever may be the reaction of the General-Admiral to the news that he had just been given.</p>
<p>To the surprise of Rear Admiral Granger, however, it seemed as if the General-Admiral was not even fazed, and indeed, a few moments later, he actually handed over the paper to Lady Emma, though because she is not familiar with the politics of the Imperial Family specifically and of the Holy Empire in general, she passed on the paper to Lady Elizabeth.</p>
<p>The reaction that the Senior Adjutant was expecting from Lord Alexander did make an appearance a few moments later, only, it did not actually come from the General-Admiral, himself, rather, it came from his cousin who had been reading the same paper that the Duke had just read.</p>
<p>If there was one thing that Rear Admiral Granger could take comfort in, however, it would be the fact that the anger that Lady Elizabeth was most assuredly feeling at that moment was not directed toward him, and even if the Baroness had actually turned his attention toward his cousin a few moments later, the rage that she was displaying was not actually directed toward the Duke, rather, it was directed toward the instruction that was written on the piece of paper that the Baroness was now waving around as if it was some sort of red-flag that would anger Lord Alexander.</p>
<p>“This is an outrage,” Lady Elizabeth said a few moments later.</p>
<p>If she was expecting a reply from the Duke, she certainly got one, though it was the reaction that she was surely expecting for, as the Duke simply said, “Lizzy, you are in a dining table.”</p>
<p>The Baroness actually had the good graces to remember that particular fact, and she stopped waving around the piece of paper that Rear Admiral Granger had brought with him. The Senior Adjutant could tell, however, that the Baroness was not yet done, and though she did replace the paper on the surface of the table in front of where her plate was, and once she had done that, she returned her attention toward the direction of the Duke of Olympia, “You would have to agree though, that it is an outrage.”</p>
<p>Having read the instructions within the letter himself, Rear Admiral Granger knew what the express and implied instructions on the letter would be. He closed his eyes for a brief moment as he let out a small mental sigh even as he reminded himself that the letter contained instructions appointing the Prince of Redmure as the Chief Negotiator for the Holy Empire of Terra in regards to the question of the status of Serendipity within the Holy Empire itself. In other words, one of the primary tasks of Lord Alexander had been taken away from his shoulders.</p>
<p>That, in itself, would not have been that much of a problem, but the fact is that the assignment was then placed upon the shoulders of a man who not only viewed the Duke of Olympia as his rival, but also had the next-strongest claim to the Golden Throne after the Crown Prince and Lord Alexander himself suggested not only political maneuverings back home, but also an attempt on the part of the Prince of Redmure to steal the credit due to the Duke of Olympia.</p>
<p>Under those circumstances, any subordinate of the man whose credit is about to be stolen would be well within their rights to be outraged, but it would appear that the same cannot be said for the man whose credit was about to be stolen himself.</p>
<p>If he was being honest, Rear Admiral Granger would have to admit that he should have known what the reaction of his commanding officer would have been to the statement that had escaped from the lips of Lady Elizabeth, but even if that was the case, it did not actually prevent him from expressing – even if it was just mentally – some surprise when he saw that the Duke of Olympia merely smiled back toward the direction of his cousin.</p>
<p>“Have you even paused to consider why the Empress would have given this order?” Lord Alexander asked. The question was obviously directed toward his cousin as he was looking at her when the question escaped from his lips, but when the Baroness did not answer the question that the Duke had asked, he did not miss a beat and almost as quickly turned his attention toward the direction of Rear Admiral Granger, silently indicating to the Senior Adjutant that the question was also meant for him, though much like the Baroness, Rear Admiral Granger actually has no answer to the question that had been asked.</p>
<p>The fact that neither his cousin nor his subordinate had an answer for the question seemingly caused no small amount of amusement for the Duke, because a few moments later, a smile appeared on his face. It was rather obvious that the Baroness was going to say something about the expression that he was wearing, but before she could actually do so, she found herself cut-off as the Duke of Olympia spoke, “The prince has to be seen by the public to be doing something,” he said.</p>
<p>For a brief moment, the only sound that echoed around the room would be the sound made by the utensils of Lord Alexander as he returned his attention toward the direction of his breakfast, but the silence did not actually last long as within a second or two, it was broken. It was, however, neither Rear Admiral Granger nor Lady Elizabeth who had broken the silence, rather, it was Lady Emma who, a few moments after she had turned her attention toward the Duke, asked, “And if he were to succeed in the mission that he has been given?”</p>
<p>An amused sound escaped from the lips of Lord Alexander a few moments later, “the chances of the Prince of Redmure succeeding in the mission that the Empress had given him is so slim it may as well be non-existent,” he said, turning his complete attention toward the young woman that he had claimed as his own.</p>
<p>Lady Emma parted her lips, though exactly what it was that she would have said at that moment would be something that only she would know, as before she could actually push the words out of her mouth, the Duke spoke again, “And yes, even if we had already laid the groundwork for a successful mission on his part, he would still screw it up.”</p>
<p>At that moment, Rear Admiral Granger watched as Lord Alexander turned his attention toward his direction, and that was actually the only thing that the General-Admiral needed to do in order to silently tell his subordinate that the fact that the Prince had been appointed to replace him in that role actually changed nothing.</p>
<p>The Spears of the Great Crusade would always be the Combined Fleets, and there is nothing in the order that they had received that suggested that Lord Alexander is going to be replaced from commanding the Grand Fleet, indeed, even an indication of that would probably cause a flurry of communications from the fleet to the Crystal Palace as everyone in the fleet would surely begin to ask for confirmation of such orders.</p>
<p>There is another hidden message in the expression that Lord Alexander was wearing when he fixed his gaze upon his Senior Adjutant, but it was a message that Rear Admiral Granger was easily able to decipher for himself. That actually caused the Senior Adjutant, General-Admiral, Imperial Terra Grand Fleet to smile as he realized that what the Duke of Olympia had not said but had implied was actually true.</p>
<p>Whatever accomplishments it was that the Prince of Redmure would accomplish for himself during the course of his mission as the appointed chief negotiator would reflect favorably upon him, yet at the same time, the people would not be able to deny the fact that he would only be able to accomplish such facts because the Grand Fleet had made it possible for Serendipity to be integrated into the Holy Empire, and naturally, that would be the accomplishment of his cousin, the man that the Prince of Redmure is so desperate to outshine.</p>
<p>At the same time, the reverse would not necessarily be true, after all, the Duke of Olympia had proven his mettle when he made negotiations possible, and indeed, the preliminary negotiations had already succeeded. It is true that any screw-up from this point onward would reflect badly upon the appointed chief negotiator, but when one takes into consideration the other accomplishments of the Duke of Olympia during this campaign, the people would have no choice but to conclude that the screw-ups of the appointed chief negotiator would be for him alone.</p>
<p>“How do you know?” the words escaped from the lips of Lady Elizabeth a few moments later, and it made Rear Admiral Granger turn his attention back toward the Baroness. Using his peripheral vision, he was able to confirm that he was not the only one who had turned his attention toward the direction of the Baroness, as Lord Alexander also turned his gaze toward his cousin, though before he could say anything, Lady Elizabeth quickly added, “How did you know that it was the Empress who had given this order?”</p>
<p>Had that question been directed toward Rear Admiral Granger, the senior adjutant would have told the woman that he is dating that the answer is rather obvious, but since the question was directed toward Lord Alexander, the senior adjutant did not say anything, and sure enough, a few moments later, the Duke of Olympia answered the question, “because there is no way that the Prince of Redmure would have come up with this by himself,” he said with a smile.</p>
<p>Rear Admiral Granger nodded, even if he was certain that no one was looking at him at that moment. He had never met the Prince of Redmure himself, of course, and even he would admit that he is well aware of how prejudiced his opinions of the man would be, but at the same time, he had heard of the actions of the surviving son of the Crown Prince, and he knew for a fact that there is a reason why Lord Alexander is seen as the strongest claimant to the Golden Throne after his uncle, the Crown Prince.</p>
<p>The Prince had done nothing but hide behind the walls of his castle and complain about not being given an opportunity to show that he could do a job as good as his cousin could, if not better, yet he had never shown any initiative to actually seize such a task, with most people claiming that even if he were to be given a task, he would refuse it simply because it does not involve commanding a portion of the military, though the reason for that is simply because he is not a commissioned officer, being the only male member of the current third-generation of the Imperial Family to not hold a commission with even the Imperial Medical Corps.</p>
<p>Rear Admiral Granger blinked at that moment as a sudden thought entered the forefront of his mind. Perhaps the reason why the Empress had chosen to assign the task personally to the Prince of Redmure was to compel him to actually get out of his castle and do something, but before he could follow up with that line of thought, the Senior Adjutant was forced to pause.</p>
<p>“I suppose I should express some disappointment in this though,” Lord Alexander suddenly said, forcing Rear Admiral Granger out of his reverie at the same time that he turned his attention toward the General-Admiral, only to find that the Duke was looking at him with an amused expression on his face. Before Rear Admiral Granger could say anything, however, Lord Alexander spoke, “After all, they sent this to us two days after they had made the final decision.”</p>
<p>“Perhaps they wanted to see first if he would back out of the assignment given, Admiral,” Rear Admiral Granger said a few moments later, “After all, he cannot back down from the assignment once he had left Terra.”</p>
<p>A small smile came across the face of Lord Alexander at that moment, “Perhaps,” he conceded a few moments later, but then he paused and the expression on his face changed for a bit. No one actually had the opportunity to say anything, however, before the Duke added, “I suppose that you should inform the rest of the command staff, Richard, so that they know that we would be moving up our departure date.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Reed Farm, Outside Madison City</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Serendipity, Stenlar Star System, (Occupied) Kingdom of Crotoa</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Sir Adrian Christian ‘Ian’ Sherfield</strong>
</p>
<p>He would readily admit to the hesitation that he was feeling at that moment, a hesitation that manifested itself in the fact that he found himself staring at the door in front of him, unable to even bring his right hand up so that he could knock upon the same, and indeed, it was also most likely the hesitation that he was feeling that caused him to silently remark to himself that he was not bringing his left hand up because he was holding onto something. Sir Ian would have to admit though, that bringing up what he was holding with his left hand was probably not the best move on his part, considering that the exact thing that was making him hesitate was what he was holding onto with his left hand.</p>
<p>The man who is supposed to be the vice-commander of the Knight-Order that was sent to protect Lady Ellie – he was now the commander, as they had pretty much confirmed the death of Sir Thomas – remembered the last time that he had tried to keep information from the Marchioness, and he would readily admit that he did not want to have to experience the conversation that he had with her in the aftermath of that, because while Sir Ian was trained as a knight and could handle himself even when everyone around him are verbally attacking him, Lady Ellie was still able to make him feel worse than he had ever felt in his life, and she had done it without even bothering to raise her voice or call him a few choice words.</p>
<p>He paused before he inhaled, consolidating his strength as he did so, though he did not actually knock on the door in front of him right away, instead, he turned his attention toward the tablet that he was carrying with his left hand even as he found himself reviewing the information – written and in photo form – that was inside the device.</p>
<p>The last time that Lady Ellie had been shown a photo on a tablet, she had very nearly broken down, and it is for that reason that Sir Ian is not sure what her reaction would be like when she sees the photos that Sir Ian had brought with him. Indeed, even if he had already made his decision that she needs to see the pictures on the tablet, for a brief few moment, he could not help but ask himself once more if this would be the right thing to do.</p>
<p>Sir Ian shook his head and forced himself to return to the present a few moments later, and with an abortive sigh, he raised his right hand and knocked on the door in front of him. The sound of his knocking was followed by someone inside the room indicating that he could enter, so that was what Sir Ian did a few moments later, wrapping his hands around the knob of the door and twisting the same before pushing it forward so that he could create a passageway for himself.</p>
<p>The first thing that Sir Ian noticed as he entered the room would be the fact that it was far smaller than the apartment that Lady Ellie had been given while she was staying in Pence Castle, indeed, this room is actually smaller than the room that Lady Ellie had stayed in as part of that apartment, but then he reminded himself that this is not Pence Castle, and that the castle is actually under the guard of the marines of their adversaries.</p>
<p>There are two rather small beds inside the room, with both positioned in such a way that two corners of the bed – the headboard and one of the sides of the bed – were placed against the walls of the room, and he knew for a fact that both bed are in use, with Lady Ellie occupying one of the beds, and the other being occupied by Lady Ava.</p>
<p>Even though there are only two beds inside the room, there are actually three women inside the room, and Sir Ian recognize the one who was with the Marchioness and the Countess as the daughter of their host, Lili. At the sight of the nurse, Sir Ian could not help but silently remark to himself that it would appear that Lady Ellie trusted Lili far more than she trusted either of her two remaining ladies-in-waiting, both of whom are not only absent from the room, but have also not been allowed to room in with the Marchioness.</p>
<p>In between the beds of Lady Ellie and Lady Ava, he could see a relatively small and simple wooden desk upon which a computer had been set-up. He could see the Marchioness and the Countess seated in front of the screen of the computer – with the Countess the one operating the machine and the Marchioness seated on the mattress of what Sir Ian assumed was her bed – but from where he was positioned, it was almost impossible for him to see what the two of them were looking at on the screen of their computer. Lili, on the other hand, stood behind Lady Ava.</p>
<p>He was certain, however, that it had nothing to do with the piece of information that Sir Ian had brought with him, considering that these photos would not be released to the local network until around dinner time tonight. The only reason that Sir Ian and his people had managed to get their hands on these photographs was because they have a plant inside the largest news network on the planet, and that plant had sent this photos – as well as the news article – ahead of the actual publication of the paper.</p>
<p>The sound of someone pointedly clearing her throat forced Sir Ian to return to the present, and as he did so, he noted that not one of the three women in front of him had so much as glanced away from him while he was thinking, and indeed, it was rather obvious that all of them were waiting for him to say something, which meant that it was not actually important who it was who had pointedly cleared her throat in order to force him back to the present.</p>
<p>Of course, as he did not have to worry about who had forced him out of his reverie, he was able to focus his attention toward the direction of the Marchioness, and using whatever trick it was that he could come up with at that moment, he banished whatever hesitation it was that he was feeling as he addressed her.</p>
<p>“Your Grace,” he suddenly said, and the fact that he was using that honorific, he hoped, would clue her in as to the importance of the news that he had brought with him. As Lady Ellie had not outwardly reacted to him using that term, he took that to mean that she understood, so he continued a few moments later, offering her the tablet that he had brought with him, “I think that you need to see this.”</p>
<p>It was Lili who had taken the tablet that Sir Ian was offering, with the nurse soon handing it over to Lady Ellie who took it without a word. He watched as she turned her attention on the screen of the same, and pressing the single button that was actually on the surface of the tablet, she caused the screen to light up, with a single photo displayed on the screen.</p>
<p>Naturally, that single photograph was not the entirety of the information that they had received from their source, but it was the photo that Sir Ian had decided to place on the screen because he judged it to be the most important photo in the set, at least, for Lady Ellie, considering that the photo showed her best-friend standing beside a man that none of them had ever seen before, and in such closeness to each other that it was rather obvious that their relationship is far more than just acquaintances.</p>
<p>“This was supposedly taken last night, my Lady,” Sir Ian said, forcing the Marchioness of Havenstark to turn her attention away from the screen of the tablet and toward him instead, and though she parted her lips in an obvious signal that she wanted to say something, Sir Ian did not allow her as he added, “Supposedly, this was an internment ceremony for those who had been killed during the invasions, but ours only as they had a separate ceremony for theirs.”</p>
<p>As he still had his gaze focused upon Lady Ellie, he was able to watch as Lady Ava took the tablet without so much as a by your leave – though he did remind himself that the Marchioness would not have complained about that – so that she could see the information for herself. Indeed, a few moments later, he watched as Lady Ava began to swipe the screens, causing the other photos to be displayed.</p>
<p>“They launched the coffins containing the mortal remains of those who have died on our side toward Stenlar,” Lady Ava said a few moments later. She paused for a few moments and her face morphed to reflect an expression that Sir Ian had since associated with her thinking, though before anyone could say anything, Lady Ava added, “We have come across some practices of the Holy Empire of Terra in the network and I remember that this is how they bury their dead, with their most honored dead actually being accompanied by honor guards up until the very edge of the danger zone of their stars.”</p>
<p>“There is also that tidbit about Emperors being buried with their favorite concubines accompanying them in the same coffin,” Lady Ellie commented a few moments later, before she accepted the tablet from the Countess of Madison so that she could look onto the other pictures herself. As she was looking at the photos, she could not turn her attention toward the direction of Sir Ian, but that did not mean that she could not actually say anything as a few moments later, that was exactly what she did, “Thank you for bring me information about Lady Emma, Sir Ian.”</p>
<p>It was at that moment that the hesitation that he thought he had already banished made a comeback, though in his defense, that was probably understandable, considering the piece of information that he was now about to share with the Marchioness, and indeed, it was for that reason that this time, it was his turn to pointedly clear his throat and make the Marchioness – along with Lady Ava and Lili – turn her attention toward him, a questioning expression written on her face.</p>
<p>“We have also confirmed that Knight-General Clancy is among those who have been interred yesterday, my Lady,” he said, “and…,” he paused there, and he would not have actually said anything else, if not for the fact that, at that moment, the expression on the face of Lady Ellie prompted him to continue, so that was what he did, “if you would look at the first photo again, and the caption of the same.”</p>
<p>Lady Ellie quickly swiped the screen back to the first photo and in short order, he knew that she was reading the caption that accompanied the photo. Indeed, a few moments later, he got confirmation that that was the case, because the Marchioness blinked in surprised, and that was followed by Lady Ellie turning her attention toward the direction of Sir Ian a few moments later.</p>
<p>“Duchess of Olympia?” she asked, “What does that even mean?”</p>
<p>Sir Ian would have to admit that he does not know the answer, but just as he parted his lips to say exactly that, he was cut off as this time, it was the Countess of Madison who pointedly cleared her throat. Unlike Sir Ian, however, Lady Ava did not wait for all of them to completely turn their gaze upon her before she spoke, “The Duke of Olympia, Lord Alexander Charles York, General-Admiral, Imperial Terra Grand Fleet,” she said, and it was only at that moment that she actually decided to look at the others in the room.</p>
<p>To Sir Ian, it would seem as if Lady Ava was surprised by the fact that people are looking at her, but even if that was the case, before anyone could actually say anything, the Countess of Madison added, “He is the man in command of that fleet that they had sent to invade.”</p>
<p>He felt the beginnings of a headache at the back of his head at that moment even as he found his thoughts turning to the fleet that was now in orbit around the moon of Serendipity. Sir Ian told himself that the combined fleets of the Kingdom of Crotoa was larger than the fleet that was now in this system, but at the same time, the fleet of the Kingdom was dispersed to multiple zones, defending the borders of the kingdom from being attacked by their more traditional rivals.</p>
<p>At the same time, he reminded himself that the fleet that was in orbit around the moon was just one fleet, which meant that there are others out there.</p>
<p>Sir Ian mentally shook his head a few moments later, however, even as he told himself that that was not what was actually the most important concern that they have at that moment, rather, their most important concern has something to do with the title that the caption had given Lady Emma, and the Marchioness of Havenstark seemed to have realized that, because when she next spoke, it was a question in regards to that, “What about this title that the Countess of Gray Haven now seem to have?” with the question directed toward Lady Ava.</p>
<p>He watched as the Countess of Madison shrugged at that moment, “My Lady,” Lady Ava began, “the rules of their peerage are not much different from ours, or rather, we actually copied most of the rules of our peerage from them, and I am sure that you know how a woman gets a peerage title that is already taken.”</p>
<p>‘<em>Marriage,’</em> Sir Ian thought, and if he was being honest, he would have to admit that was also the answer that he had come up with, but at the same time, he did not think that Lady Emma would have agreed to that easily, after all, there was no way that Lady Emma would agree to that, and indeed, just a little under forty eight hours ago, they were worrying about her being killed because they are sure that she would have attacked her captors without regard for her own life after the death of Sir Leo.</p>
<p>Unable to stop himself, Sir Ian forced everyone to return their gaze toward him as he said in a no-nonsense tone, “She would never turn her back to the Kingdom,” and after he had said that, a pregnant pause followed. That silence was followed a few moments later by Sir Ian adding, “She would rather kill herself,” he turned his attention toward Lady Ellie, but before he could actually say anything, he found himself cut off the Marchioness.</p>
<p>“Calm yourself, Sir Ian,” she said even as she turned her attention toward the knight. Despite the order that he had received from the Marchioness, he actually looked as if he was about to continue speaking, but before he could actually do so, the Marchioness once more cut him off, “I understand what you are trying to say and I actually agree with you,” she actually smiled before adding, “Just as you had grown-up in the household of her father, I, too have been a guest of the Duke of Moresby for more than half of my life, or are you forgetting the fact that the four of us have known each other since we were teenagers?”</p>
<p>Sir Ian blinked at the same time that he bowed his head, “My apologies, my Lady,” he began a few moments later, but the Marchioness waved aside the apology, allowing Sir Ian to remind himself that what Lady Ellie had said was true. The four of them had indeed practically grown up together, and as that thought entered the forefront of his mind, he could not help but remind himself that of the four of them, one had already died, and apparently, at the same day that he asked the woman that he had dreamed of marrying for as long as he could remember to marry him.</p>
<p>“It is precisely because Lady Emma would not betray the Kingdom that she has to accept the title of Duchess of Olympia, my Lady,” Lady Ava said a few moments later, and as she spoke, all attention once more turned toward her. She did not seem at all fazed by that, however, as she continued, “As the companion of the man sent by the Holy Empire to conquer the Stenlar System, she can use that position to protect the people here.”</p>
<p>Sir Ian parted his lips, but somehow, Lady Ava realized that he was about to say something, as he found himself forced to pause a few moments later even as she suddenly said, “And I imagine that he intends to do the same thing to the other systems that he would soon be visiting,” she turned her gaze toward Lady Ellie before the Countess added, “He has four ducal titles under his name, and he probably intends to use them in the same way that he appears to have used it for the Countess of Gray Haven.”</p>
<p>Once more, another pregnant pause descended upon the party inside the room, and this time, the silence lasted far longer than the first one. A few moments later, however, Sir Ian broke the silence as he could not help but ask, “But why would she go through that length?”</p>
<p>“Perhaps because he asked her to?” Lady Ava answered the question of Sir Ian with a question of her own, but she actually shrugged when Sir Ian turned his complete attention toward her. He was not able to say anything before she then added, “The Countess of Gray Haven is a woman, Sir Ian, and we always have one more weapon we can use against a man.”</p>
<p>He knew what the Countess was talking about, of course, and it was precisely because he knew that he was forced to pause as he seriously found himself asking why he was so agitated by what was happening. It took him less than a moment, however, to find the answer, and it was something that had to do with his old friend, Sir Leo.</p>
<p>“Sir Ian,” the voice of Lady Ava tore him out of his reverie, and he turned his gaze to look at the Countess of Madison, and though he had parted his lips with the intention of speaking, he found himself cut off as the Countess quickly said, “There is a reason why she agreed to this, Sir Ian, and I do believe that it is to protect the Kingdom of Crotoa.”</p>
<p>He watched as she turned her attention toward the direction of Lady Ellie before the Countess of Madison then added, “Your Grace,” – and like Sir Ian, she knew that she should only use that term to instill upon the Marchioness that what she was about to say was very important – “during my time looking into whatever information we could get regarding our adversaries, I have come across a letter sent to that same Duke of Olympia that we have been talking about,” she paused, but did not allow anyone to interrupt her as she added quickly, “it was fragmented, but when I read it, I got the distinct impression that our enemies have weapons far more dangerous than the one that we have already seen.”</p>
<p>“What kind of weapons?” it was Sir Ian who had asked the question, but that was only because he was the quickest one to do so. A glance toward the direction of Lady Ellie would have told anyone that she would have asked the question as well, but the knight did not get the chance to think about that anymore as the Countess of Madison quickly answered the question.</p>
<p>“The kind of weapon that could destroy entire planets, Sir Ian, that kind of weapon,” Lady Ava said, and because of the way that she had spoken, he could not even imagine that she was pulling his leg at that moment.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Aboard the <em>Bremerton</em>, Personal Yacht of the Duke of Olympia, Support Fleet </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>On orbit around Winnipeg, Stenlar Star System, (Occupied) Kingdom of Crotoa</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Lady Elizabeth Harwood</strong>
</p>
<p>Through the large window on the observation deck, she watched as the shuttle disconnected the final control cables that connected it with the hangar that was located directly under the observation deck where she stood. As soon as the control cables were disconnected, the shuttle was no longer connected with the yacht, and as if to provide further evidence that that was the case, the lights in front of the shuttle suddenly turned on at that moment before maneuver thrusters located on the port side of the shuttle ignited, pushing the shuttle to the starboard side.</p>
<p>Corresponding maneuver thrusters located on the starboard side of the shuttle – but located aft of the fuselage – ignited a few moments later, pushing the shuttle toward the direction against which the thrusters were pointed, and the effect of that would be the shuttle executing a complete one-hundred-eighty-degree turn that saw the aft of the shuttle pointed toward the direction of the observation deck where she stood.</p>
<p>Lady Elizabeth, Baroness of Land’s End fought the urge to sigh as she told herself that the shuttle in front of her was carrying some of the most important people in the Imperial Terra Grand Fleet, after all, the General-Admiral is aboard the shuttle, along with his Senior Adjutant. The two of them are returning to the flagship, with the Senior Adjutant official ending his stint of duties aboard the <em>Bremerton</em> so that he can resume his official duties aboard the flagship.</p>
<p>If she was being honest, Lady Elizabeth would have to admit that she did not agree with that, but then she reminded herself that she does not actually have a say to that, and she would also have to admit that the reason that she did not agree with that was because she preferred to have her lover aboard the same ship as her.</p>
<p>A small smile came across the face of Lady Elizabeth as she silently told herself that the latter reason is not something that would fly, and indeed, as she turned her attention toward the lady who was standing beside her, the Baroness told herself that if the General-Admiral would not bend the rules so that he can with the woman that he had claimed as his own, then all the more reason for his subordinates – and though Lady Elizabeth is no longer a member of the active-duty Imperial Medical Corps, she is still a subordinate to the General-Admiral, but in his capacity as the Duke of Cornwall – to not be allowed to use that excuse.</p>
<p>Lady Emma stood beside Lady Elizabeth with her attention turned toward the direction of the large window in front of them, but if she was being honest, the Baroness was not sure if the designated Duchess of Olympia was actually looking at the shuttle that was even at that moment slowly warming up its main engines. The designated Duchess was yet to actually truly open up to the Baroness, though at that moment, Lady Elizabeth did not think that strange, considering that they had first met only two days ago.</p>
<p>During that time, the two of them had spent most of their time in the rather well-stocked library aboard the <em>Bremerton</em>, with the designated Duchess reading through some books that were picked up in advance – and it was not even the Baroness who had picked up those books – in order for her to understand Terran society, culture, norms, and a dozen or so other subjects that someone of her stature should know.</p>
<p>The fact that the books had been picked up in advance was a sign to the Baroness that her cousin had planned to make Lady Emma as his duchess even before the fleet had reached Stenlar, and indeed, at that moment, the Baroness reminded herself that scuttlebutt from within the members of the staff of his cousin had claimed that the Duke had wanted the then Countess of Gray Haven the moment that he saw her perform on stage when he visited Serendipity during the planning for the start of the Great Crusade.</p>
<p>She turned her attention toward the direction of the shuttle carrying the Duke of Olympia, and at the same time that she did, she saw two fighters from one of the carriers attached to the Grand Fleet take move from one side of her view to the other. She knew that the fighters are on race-track patterns over the <em>Bremerton</em>, waiting for the shuttle carrying their commander to begin moving so that they could take up positions on either side of the shuttle.</p>
<p>Lady Elizabeth turned her attention back toward the direction of Lady Emma a few moments later even as she told herself that there is nothing left to watch, but as she saw that the designated Duchess was still looking at the direction of the shuttle, it became necessary for the Baroness to distract her.</p>
<p>“Perhaps we should head over to the library, my Lady?” Lady Elizabeth asked. Although at that moment, it was phased as a question, during the past two days that she had accompanied the Duchess, Lady Elizabeth had never been denied by Lady Emma, and it was for that reason that she fully expected her to turn her attention to him and nod in agreement.</p>
<p>Of course, that was what the designed Duchess did, with Lady Emma turning her attention toward the direction of Lady Elizabeth and giving her a nod. What the Baroness did not expect would be the words that escaped from the lips of Lady Emma a few moments later, because as the two of them began to walk toward the direction of the library, the designated Duchess asked, “Would you tell me about the actual relationship between my Lord and the Prince of Redmure?”</p>
<p>It took a lot of control on the part of Lady Elizabeth not to frown at that moment, but if she was being honest, she would have to admit that the frown that would have appeared on her face had nothing to do with the question, and more to do with the way that the designated Duchess had referred to the Duke. The Baroness was yet to hear Lady Emma refer to the Duke of Olympia by his given name, with the designated Duchess always referring to him as ‘my Lord’, even in setting that would generally be considered as informal.</p>
<p>Still, since part of her duties at that moment would have been to answer the questions of Lady Emma, the Baroness knew that she had no choice but to answer the question, “The Prince of Redmure is the only surviving son of the Crown Prince of the Holy Empire of Terra, as you already know, my Lady,” she said, “He is five years younger than the Duke of Olympia, but as he is the only son of the Crown Prince, he is generally viewed as occupying a spot just behind Lord Alexander in the succession to the Golden Throne.”</p>
<p>She turned her complete gaze toward the face of Lady Emma, and though the designated Duchess had not said anything, the expression on her face was the only thing that the Baroness needed to see in order to know that, if she had the chance, Lady Emma would have said that that was not the information that she wanted considering that that information is already available to her. Before she could say anything, however, the Baroness cut her off, “He believes himself rival to the Duke of Olympia.”</p>
<p>“But my Lord does not see him as such?” Lady Emma asked.</p>
<p>The Baroness placed a smile on her face before she shook her head, “I do not think he had seen any of the members of that side of his family, or our side of the family for that matter, as his rival,” she replied. In response to the confused expression on the face of the designated Duchess of Olympia, Lady Elizabeth added, “He had always said that he has no interest in the Golden Throne, my Lady, and as such, he can have no rival in that regard, and as for his military achievements, well,” she allowed the smile on her face to widen before she added, “his records speak for itself.”</p>
<p>Lady Elizabeth could see the expression on the pretty face of Lady Emma changing, but it would appear that the Duchess had realized what was happening because she easily schooled her features before she focused her gaze back toward the direction of the Baroness, and before Lady Elizabeth could say anything, the designated Duchess asked her question, “Do you really believe that he has no intention to go after the Golden Throne?”</p>
<p>For a brief moment, Lady Elizabeth found herself staring at the woman in front of her even as she asked herself if she should answer that question. She searched the face of the designated Duchess for any reason as to why she was asking that question, because at that moment, Lady Elizabeth could not help but feel that the reason behind the question that Lady Emma had just asked would be for whatever it was that she was planning to hurt the Duke.</p>
<p>In the end, however, the Baroness of Land’s End would have to admit that even if she were not to answer the question, the designated Duchess could probably just ask Lord Alexander about it herself the next time that they would meet and, in any case, Lady Elizabeth reminded herself that she does not actually know what her cousin is really planning.</p>
<p>“No, my Lady,” Lady Elizabeth replied a few moments later. She focused her gaze upon the younger woman in front of her, just in time to see the designated Duchess of Olympia part her lips. It was rather obvious that Lady Emma was about to say something, and the Baroness did have a clue as to what it was that she was about to say, though before Lady Emma could even allow a single sound to escape from her lips, Lady Elizabeth cut her off once more, “He is not humble enough to actually refuse the Golden Throne, and besides, even if he actually did not want it, he would not have a choice but to actually accept the Golden Throne.”</p>
<p>“The Prince of Redmure?” Lady Emma asked.</p>
<p>Lady Elizabeth nodded at the same time that she silently told herself that if the Duke of Olympia were to refuse the Golden Throne, then the only choice would actually be the Prince of Redmure. The Baroness did not think that his cousin would have allowed that to happen as he knew for a fact that the Prince of Redmure would not be able to carry on the considerable weight that the Emperor would have to carry on his shoulders.</p>
<p>Indeed, the fact that he would not have allowed his cousin to become the Emperor is actually kindness on the part of Lord Alexander for his cousin.</p>
<p>“Would the Prince of Redmure be able to mount an effective campaign for the Golden Throne?” Lady Emma suddenly asked, prompting Lady Elizabeth to return to the present and turn her complete attention back toward the woman who is supposed to be her superior.</p>
<p>Once more, the expression on the face of Lady Emma masked what the designated Duchess was really thinking about, and the Baroness found herself with no choice but to answer the question, if only to make Lady Emma speak even more and hopefully provide her with more clues as to what she is planning to do.</p>
<p>“Perhaps,” Lady Elizabeth would have to concede that point, “the Crown Princess is, after all, from the House of Lancaster, and they had traditionally been second after the Imperial House of York, with many connections with the other ancient families of the Holy Empire.”</p>
<p>She did not think that it was necessary for her to remind Lady Emma that by choosing to name a technical foreigner as his Duchess, Lord Alexander had pretty much ensured that he would not have any ally coming from that direction, and it was at that point that Lady Elizabeth could not help but ask herself why his cousin had chosen to make the move that he had made.</p>
<p>“His mother is from the House of Lambert,” Lady Emma pointed out a few moments later, naming another of the ancient families of the Holy Empire, descendants of the original fifty-two men who had helped the first Emperor during the founding of the Holy Empire. As the cousin of Lord Alexander from the mother side of his family, Lady Elizabeth is also a member of the House of Lambert, with her mother being the younger sister of the mother of Lord Alexander.</p>
<p>“Yes,” she conceded, “but we have stayed away from capital politics for so long.”</p>
<p>Lady Emma paused at that moment, and that, in turn, caused Lady Elizabeth to pause as well. They are actually near the library by the time that they had paused, but before the Baroness could ask Lady Emma why she had stopped, the designated Duchess asked, “Why do people see my Lord as the more preferable candidate for the Golden Throne? I know the Holy Empire has a descending line of succession.”</p>
<p>“It is because of his accomplishments, my Lady,” Lady Elizabeth replied, “and it is precisely because there are only two of them that the difference between the two of them is made even more poignant.”</p>
<p>“Even so, would it not be the father of my Lord, the Archduke of Maryland, who would have to be considered first?” Lady Emma asked.</p>
<p>“He has made it absolutely clear that he has no intention to sit on the Golden Throne, my Lady,” Lady Elizabeth replied, “and nothing that anyone says would convince him otherwise, as he is of the belief that only one representative for each generation can sit on the Golden Throne and he believes that his brother is the best candidate.”</p>
<p>Lady Emma paused again, though this time, the pause lasted far longer than any other moment that she had paused, and indeed, Lady Elizabeth was about to break the silence a few moments later. Just as she parted her lips, however, Lady Emma cut her off, “And I would have to meet with the Prince of Redmure when he arrives?” she asked.</p>
<p>The Baroness found herself staring at the face of Lady Emma, once more trying to look for clues that would reveal what the designated Duchess was thinking. Once more, however, there was nothing on the pretty face of Lady Emma that revealed what she was really thinking, which was why Lady Elizabeth decided that she should warn her at that moment, even if it meant actually offending her.</p>
<p>“Yes, you would have to,” Lady Elizabeth replied, “but I do not think Lord Alexander would allow you to meet the Prince of Redmure on your own,” there was a brief pause as the Baroness hesitated, but before the designated Duchess could say anything, Lady Elizabeth added, “My Lady, I feel that I should warn you about the Prince of Redmure.”</p>
<p>The Baroness watched as Lady Emma turned her attention toward her, but before Lady Emma could say anything, the Baroness continued, “He had thought himself as the rival of the Duke of Olympia for nearly half a century now, and no doubt, he would do everything that he can think of in order to get one ahead of Lord Alexander,” she paused before quickly adding, “He would go after you, if only so that he can use you against the Duke of Olympia, but after that, he would discard just as easily.”</p>
<p>Lady Elizabeth would have to admit that the smile that came across the face of Lady Emma at that moment did not calm the nerves that she was feeling at that moment, and when she spoke, that feeling of trepidation that she was feeling actually increased, “You do not have to worry about that, Lady Elizabeth,” she said, “He, Alex, promised me something, and that promise means a lot more to me than any promise that has ever been given to me.”</p>
<p>There were many reasons behind the dumbstruck expression that appeared on the face of Lady Elizabeth in the aftermath of the words that had escaped from the lips of Lady Emma, and the fact that the Duke had made a promise to the Lady Emma was not even the first thing that came to the forefront of the mind of Lady Elizabeth when she thought about the reasons, rather, the first thing that came to the forefront of the mind of the Baroness would be what the designated Duchess had called Lord Alexander.</p>
<p>After all, Lady Emma did not use the more generic ‘my Lord’ that she is always using, or even referred to him by the less informal ‘Lord Alexander’ that everyone else is using, rather, she had referred to him by his nickname, and aside from family and a few other trusted friends – most of whom have granted Lord Alexander the right to use their own nicknames – no one else uses that name.</p>
<p>In the end, however, as curious as she was when Lord Alexander had granted her permission to use his nickname, it was actually the details of the promise that Lord Alexander had given his would-be bride that the Baroness was most curious about, but at the same time, she knew that she would not be told what those details are even if she were to directly ask, and so, the Baroness told herself that she would just have to wait.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Reed Farm, Outside Madison City</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Serendipity, Stenlar Star System, (Occupied) Kingdom of Crotoa</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Lady Eleanor Elizabeth ‘Ellie’ Barnes</strong>
</p>
<p>She found herself staring at the young woman in front of her with an incredulous expression on her face. If she was being honest, Lady Ellie would have to admit that her first reaction to what the young woman in front of her had just said would have been to dismiss her claims, but at the same time, the Marchioness told herself that there is no reason for Lady Ava to actually lie to her and, in any case, the Marchioness was quick to realize what whether or not the weapon that she is talking about exists, it actually does not change anything.</p>
<p>“They would just be more efficient in killing everyone on the planet with that weapon,” Lady Ellie said a few moments later. She was well aware that when she had spoken, the reverie that Sir Ian and Lili had fallen into had been pierced and the two of them returned to the present, but that was something that she was able to confirm with the use of her peripheral vision as she had actually kept her gaze focused upon the direction of Lady Ava when she said that.</p>
<p>The reason why she kept her gaze focused upon the Countess of Madison was because she wanted to see what kind of expression it was that Lady Ava would have made in response to the statement that she had just uttered, but then Lady Ellie realized that there was probably no need, considering that the nod that the Countess gave a few moments later was exactly as she had anticipated.</p>
<p>“We know that orbital bombardment could render the surface of a planet inhospitable for a few decades or even hundreds of years,” Lady Ava said a few moments later.</p>
<p>Lady Ellie was not sure if she was waiting for anyone to say anything else, because she paused after she had said that. Even if she had paused, however, no one among the other three people who are in the relatively small room with her had said anything, and that prompted the Countess to continue speaking, “It might make the planet useless for the duration of that time, but I have a feeling that our adversaries do not  really care about that, and besides,” – and here, the Countess paused again, though this time, it was clear that she was not going to wait for anyone to try to interrupt her as she quickly added – “it is not the usefulness of the planet that is being used to compel the Countess of Gray Haven, rather, it is the lives of the people who are still on the planet.”</p>
<p>The Marchioness of Havenstark turned her attention back toward the tablet that Sir Ian had brought with him, suppressing the urge to sigh as she did so. At the same time, she privately admitted to herself that when she had first seen the picture and realized what the caption meant, she had thought that oldest and dearest friend – a woman that she thought of as her older sister – had betrayed the country.</p>
<p>Of course, now she had to admit that Lady Emma was actually doing something that she cannot even imagine herself doing, trading herself for the sake of the people whose very lives are being used to compel her to do what she does not want to do.</p>
<p>‘<em>Oh, Emma,’</em> she thought at the same time that she found herself wishing that she could do something, anything, to help the woman that she thought of as her older sister.</p>
<p>Whatever musings it was that was going on in the mind of Lady Ellie, however, was put on hold a few moments later as the sounds of someone knocking on the closed door echoed around the room. In response to the tell-tale sound, the Marchioness turned her attention, but she did not actually turn her gaze toward the direction where the sound came from, rather, she turned her attention toward the direction of Sir Ian, just in time to see the knight turn his own attention toward the direction of the door before he returned his attention back toward the Marchioness.</p>
<p>No words may have escaped from the lips of Sir Ian at that moment, but none was actually necessary as the Marchioness instantly realized that he was asking permission to open the door himself, and that was a permission that Lady Ellie was more than happy to give to Sir Ian.</p>
<p>Perhaps the reason why Sir Ian wanted to be the one to open the door was because he knew that it would be one of his knights who would be at the other side of the door, and sure enough, when the vice-commander – though she supposed that that is not proper anymore as the Knight-General was now dead – opened the door, the person who stood at the other side of the portal was Sir Malcolm, with the other knight not even showing a modicum of surprise at the fact that Sir Ian was in the room of Lady Ellie and Lady Ava.</p>
<p>Then again, perhaps the reason why Sir Malcolm had gone to this particular room rather than the make-shift command center that they have set-up at the conference room is precisely because of the fact that he already knew that he would find Sir Ian here.</p>
<p>Whatever the case may be, however, Sir Malcolm still has to acknowledge the presence of Lady Ellie, which was why the next thing that the knight did was to turn her attention toward his direction and give her a small bow before he spoke, “My Lady,” though he did not wait for her to say anything before he turned his attention toward Sir Ian and added, “Vice-commander.”</p>
<p>“You have news, Sir Malcolm?” Sir Ian asked after he had returned the greeting of his subordinate. Lady Ellie did notice that the knight did not wait for her reaction to his greeting, nor did he actually greeted Lady Ava, but since the man must be carrying important news, the Marchioness of Havenstark did not make that much of a big issue of it. Indeed, if she was being honest, she was far more likely to make a fuss about Sir Malcolm still insisting on formally greeting her given the circumstances that they are in.</p>
<p>“Yes, Sir,” he replied to the question of his superior officer, and even Lady Ellie could tell that there was something about the piece of information that he had brought with him that made Sir Malcolm particularly excited. The Marchioness was about to ask him what kind of information it was that he had brought with him, but before she could actually do so, Sir Malcolm made it unnecessary as he simply reported the information that he had brought with him.</p>
<p>“Sir James and Sir Brandon were able to confirm where the rest of the brethren are being held in custody, commander,” he replied. That caused the eyes of Lady Ellie to widen, though she was hardly the only one who had because the same could be said about Sir Ian.</p>
<p>It was, Lady Ellie knew, good news, though it was not a particularly great one, because even if they knew where the other members of the Knight-Order of Eurus are being kept, it did not mean that they could actually come to their rescue, especially if they are actually being held in custody off-planet. Lady Ellie did not think that that is the case, however, because she believed that if that was the case, then Sir Malcolm would not be as excited as he was at that moment.</p>
<p>Even if they are still on the surface of the planet, however, it still did not mean that they could just go there and pick them up. It did mean, however, that the knights and the retired servicemen that Paul Reed had gathered could begin planning to come to the rescue of their comrades, and while a larger number of knights would usually mean that they would have to find a larger ship to carry them away from the planet, even just doubling their current numbers would allow them to actually mount a serious attack at one of the space ports where the ships that they so badly require are being kept.</p>
<p>“Where are they being held?” Sir Ian asked, and his voice tore Lady Ellie out of her reverie.</p>
<p>Lady Ellie was about to say something at that moment, but before she could do so, Sir Malcolm answered the question of his superior officer, “The invaders had built a temporary holding facility beside the Spencer Space Port,” he said, prompting a confused expression to appear on the face of Lady Ellie.</p>
<p>Once more, she was hardly the only one who had that expression as Sir Ian also had the same expression, and the Marchioness was willing to lay odds that, at that moment, the two of them were actually thinking the exact same thing.</p>
<p>Spencer Port is one of the larger space ports servicing not only Madison City, but also the entirety of Serendipity. Unlike Madison Space Port, however, Spencer Port is mostly a cargo hub and it is precisely for that reason that when Sir Ian and the others had looked for a ship that could carry them out of Serendipity, they looked most closely at Spencer Port.</p>
<p>Of course, she did not think that their adversaries are aware of that, but the strange coincidence that their comrades are so near the place that they intend to attack in the future was still something that deserves to be commented upon, even if only to point out the strange coincidence that was now seemingly confronting them.</p>
<p>At least, that was what Lady Ellie thought, because it would appear that Lady Ava did not think that it was a coincidence, and that was made more obvious a few moments later when she suddenly asked, “Do you have any idea why they are keeping them so close to the port?” and when everyone turned their attention toward her, the Countess of Madison added, “Perhaps they are housed there because they are going to be moved off-planet soon, and if that is the case, then perhaps we should consider moving prematurely if only to come to their aid.”</p>
<p>What was left unsaid was that if the knights were moved off-planet, getting to them would be almost as impossible as pulling off the spaceship heist that Sir Ian and the others were planning.</p>
<p>Lady Ava was not in the chain-of-command of Sir Malcolm, so he did not really need to answer her, but the Marchioness did see him turn his attention toward Sir Ian, and a quick glance at the expression that the commander was wearing confirmed to Lady Ellie that Sir Ian also wanted to know the answer to that question.</p>
<p>Given the circumstances, it would not have been surprising if Sir Malcolm did not know what the answer to that question would be, and indeed, Lady Ellie would have to admit that she had thought that that would be the case, which was why she was so surprised when, a few moments later and in response to the question that he had been asked, the knight replied, “There is chatter in enemy signals that indicate that they would be taken back to their capital by a newly appointed negotiator,” he said, “but only after they had signed a treaty with the Duke of Serendipity.”</p>
<p>“A newly appointed negotiator?” Lady Ava asked, once more beating everyone else from asking the exact same question, though no one actually thought to stop her as she added, “Do you know who?”</p>
<p>This time, Lady Ellie had more expectations for Sir Malcolm in regards to that question – after all, he had answered a question that she did not really expect him to answer – and he lived up to her expectations as she answered the question, “Someone called the Prince of Redmure, my Lady,” he said.</p>
<p>Even though Sir Malcolm had an answer to the question, Lady Ellie would have to admit that it actually changed nothing, because they actually do not know who that man that he had just named is. She was about to file that information at the back of her mind when a sudden thought entered the forefront of the mind of Lady Ellie and she blinked even as she found herself turning her attention toward the direction of Sir Ian.</p>
<p>‘<em>If the man that they are sending to negotiate with us is a Prince, and the man who is holding Emma hostage is a Duke, then the man that is coming ranks higher than him,’</em> she thought. If that was the case, then perhaps they could use the coming negotiator in order to negotiate a hostage exchange.</p>
<p>“Sir Ian,” Lady Ellie said a few moments later, and in response to her saying something, Sir Ian turned his attention toward her, followed a few moments later by Lady Ellie and the others. She waited only for Sir Ian, however, and as soon as she was sure that he was looking at her, the Marchioness spoke, “What are the chances that you could take the coming prince as a hostage?”</p>
<p>It was not only the commander of the knights who blinked in response to the order, because even Lili – who had been mostly quiet – had the same reaction. Naturally, however, it was Lady Ava who understood exactly what was going on in the mind of the Marchioness of Havenstark.</p>
<p>“A hostage exchange, my Lady?” Lady Ava asked.</p>
<p>“Yes,” Lady Ellie replied, not even bothering to wait for an answer from Sir Ian at that moment, because she only had to see the expression that he was wearing on his face at that moment in order for her to know that he would have answered that it was impossible. She turned her attention toward the direction of Sir Ian before adding, “Assuming that we can take them by surprise during the day of his arrival?”</p>
<p>For a few moments, silence answered the question that she had posed, but just as she was about to repeat the question, Sir Ian suddenly spoke, “I do not know,” he admitted, although from the change of his tone, she could tell that he was at least interested in the plan, and she watched as he turned his attention toward the direction of Sir Malcolm before he said, “Would you ask for all the others and for the leaders of Sir Paul’s men to go to the conference room?”</p>
<p>She watched as Sir Malcolm gave a nod, before he then turned his attention toward Lady Ellie and asked, “With your leave, my Lady?” to which the Marchioness could only give an enthusiastic nod, after all, he was about to go and see if the plan that she suggested could come to fruition, and at that moment, the Marchioness would admit that she was happy that she, at least, had tried to do something to rescue her old friend from the hands of the man who was now keeping her captive.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>